The Lost Knight
by Dark0Nexus
Summary: "Trapped as a spirit for eternity? That he could accept. He deserved it. So, he wasn't suppose to be here, let alone be reborn and be given this new life in this new age!" Fate can be so cruel for our warrior that came from a forgotten time. All he wanted was an end, but all he got was a new beginning. OC/Dorian, Reincarnation, Elvhen, Spirit, Time, Templar
1. Chapter 1 : The Beast

**Back again with me after so long.**

 **An OC/Dorian fic! Although the romance won't appear right away. The OC will eventually meet our dashing Tevinter soon enough.**

 **He gotta go through his "first" life before he enters Dragon Age.**

 **It may not be lore friendly, gonna be out of character and all that biz. But hey, this is all for fun. I hope you will enjoy it, lovelies.**

 **Disclaimer: oh la la, this is a fan fiction, made by a fan and obviously not the creator of this magnificent game, Dragon Age and all of its contents. Oh my, Oh my.**

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Courageous and heroic warrior of justice.

Slayer of the might and vanquisher of the impossible.

The world knew of my name, a single look at my mask would tell them a tale of either savior of the weak or a bloodthirsty savage.

Even through the great Elvhen lands, curious elf would whisper my tale. Mothers would say my name to frighten their misbehaving children.

Ah, but in your time, you might see this as nothing. You might not even believe that once the Elves had all the powers and the greatest of them would rule as Gods, the not so pleasant kind, I'm afraid.

To them, we puny mortals were lucky enough to even breathe the same air as them, just because they allowed it to. Very pleasant.

Those who called themselves Gods would rule in their empire up above the skies.

It was a realm full of wild magic and sky palaces like you would not believe.

The skies belonged to them and so did everything below, a claim any tyrant Gods would say.

Alas, none could prove them otherwise. Despite their arrogance, their power were unquestionable. Thus we continued to linger under their shadows.

Unbelievable, I know. I have seen the changes in your time, stranger. I've learned enough by observing your fellow dreamers. Perhaps, It is for the better that my world remain forgotten..

You may treat this story however you wish, stranger. I do not expect you to believe any words coming from this old spirit.

The only proof I have is my memories and you are lucky that I still keep them close. I doubt any of your books can make any sense out of them.

But you asked for a story, didn't you? Now, you got one. Listen well to this tale from a lost world.

Long time ago where the greatest of the Elvhen declared themselves as Gods and all of the realms weren't broken or separated from one another. Yes, there were numerous realms, all connected by magic.

You see, unlike your time, magic was everywhere and it was at its purest form.

But, there was one realm where it held the source of all magic. Raw and wild magic would flow from there and to the rest of the realms, connecting and providing them with magic and life.

It was no coincidence that the realm was also the elves' homeland. They made it pretty clear to the whole world of it. Even stated their people were created from the realm's very magic and was destined to master its power.

Unbelievable, but yet again, they had proven the ruthlessness of their power many times, giving no hope for the rest of us to even dream of standing in their level.

And thus, seeing so little struggle, they took it upon themselves to make their kind the icon of magic and mystic, something to be worshiped and feared. And how they loved it, playing and deciding the fate of their lesser. We were toys that functioned only to entertain and when we outlived our uses, they would discard us like one.

Your book may speak of a compassionate elven gods, stranger, but trust me, they only care for their own. Not us, not the savages.

Harsh, but it's how they saw my people. I am no historian or what you call a scholar of my people, that is plain to see, but I can recall some of our elder's stories about our origin.

It was a tale he would tell every children in the clan, making sure that all of us remember where we came from and to honor our ancestor's sacrifices.

He told us of a great tribe that existed not long after the creation of the worlds, the first human to walk on the land, our homeland. He would drew out a great green lush meadow where the first tribe claimed the land. From there, great warriors and hunters were born, soon they became great leaders who had defended and protected the homeland. Leading us to a golden age.

Some of them decided to make their own clans and set out to different places of the world. Under great leadership, my people had grew and prospered, until somewhere along the line, fate decided to introduce us with the Elves and their godly powers.

The Elder didn't know how it happen, but the elves took away most of our home and wiped away the best of us. He told us of a war and we lost. We lost everything.

Those who survived had scattered all over the realms and our life had been nothing but a survival to the fittest.

To put it shortly, we lived to be treated like animals. Nothing compassionate about that, I assure you.

Our ancestors failed and so did many of us. Hopeless, we gave up on trying and instead we survived.

However, the Elvhenan made sure that we wouldn't get any bright ideas, so they took every little chance to treat us like wild beasts. Called us many names like savages, primitives or dumb apes. We were a prize to be hunted or tamed, a trophy or a pet. Take your pick.

It is cruel, what they were forcing us to become.

For generations we have lived like how they wanted us, animals. We kept our clan in small numbers, out of sight and never remained in one place for long. We made home in the shadows of the wilderness, because it was safer that way.

It is a shame of how easy we succumbed to their influences. Many of our leaders would choose to abandon our cultures because they feared the wrath of the Elvhen Gods.

You can see why this part of humanity doesn't exist in your world. Not in any books or records. Not that I can blame them. This part of the past was better off forgotten, especially after the Elvhen had lost their throne.

It's seemed like a dream to see how comfortable the humans are now.

What's that?

Ah, you are curious on how I get my titles. Impatient one, aren't you? Very well, I was just setting up the stage for you, to lessen the confusion.

Firstly, it wasn't easy to make the Gods above to gaze down at us mortals. Yet, to be honest, it was unintentional to be where I am now.

Before, I was just a son of a hunter and a farmer in my clan, no brothers or sisters, sadly.

Nothing grand or magnificent in my small family. Father did the big part in keeping us well fed and mother tended to the clan's food and livestock with the rest of the women of the clan.

Life was steady, right before we lost father. It was sudden, he went out hunting with his group one day, but didn't come back. The clan sent out people to search, only to find their cold headless bodies in the middle of the forest.

Hunter turned prey, a common thing to happen in my time. Still, the news hit us hard.

Mother cried for weeks, she regretted that she couldn't get him to switch profession.

Father was prideful and being a hunter meant honor and respect. It was useless to change that stubborn old fool's mind, but he did keep us up on our feet and away from the trouble we're about to face.

The clan didn't tolerate those who couldn't carry their own weights, they would mark one as a liability and they banished liabilities. It didn't matter who you were or what you have done for the clan before. It was a cold tradition that kept the clan alive, they said, ignoring of how wrong it was.

I never agree to it, I hated it. It made us no different from those who destroyed us. But nothing I said matter, for I was just another angry kid who just lost their parent.

When mother wept, it put my family on edge. Mother stopped working and her depression was very severe that she refused to eat or move. It pained me to see her like that, but she loves him very much, stranger. Sadly, love meant nothing to the clan.

Therefore, I took her place and did her job, trying to keep us from falling. I had been helping her with it before, therefore it was familiar.

Things were going fine, until a new problem appeared and it was the people, they talked.

It was shameful for an able and healthy boy of the clan to work the farm, instead of training to be the clan's future warrior or hunter. And that silly reason had upset many. They threw thorns at mother, accused her for being a poor parent.

But thankfully, their words didn't affect mother. I think she had no room for their harsh opinions at the time, one bright thing from her crippling sadness, I suppose.

We ignored them and continued my defiance. Although, it hurts to see those who we thought as friends, even family, to turn their back on us over such reason.

Still, I didn't let it change me for the worst, no. It only made me realize of my clan's condition.

I remembered the elder's stories of how we all stood together as a strong family, back in the glory days. Comparing them both, I almost thought the elder was lying.

Unexpectedly, that depressing realization had inspired me. I wanted to bring that back to my clan, the old glory days, and most of all, I wanted to prove them all that we're not animals.

But of course, easier said than done, yet it didn't discourage me from making small kindness along the way. I received many skepticism and insults in return, but they didn't weaken my will.

Why bother you say? Yes, I knew we could always walk away and give a chance to the other nearby clans. But, no matter how dysfunctional my clan was, it was still home.

I couldn't give up on it, I had to try.

They didn't choose to be like this. I believed that we could be more than what they forced us to be. There was potential in all of those flaws and chaos, it was there, just waiting for someone to reach it.

No more, they would believe in a world where fear constantly shrouded you and made it impossible to hope for the tiniest dependency from others. Wouldn't you have done the same for your home, stranger?

Those small actions were the start, I didn't do anything big, not until I was old enough to be a recruit for the clan's hunters.

Hm, the tongue of my people might be too complex, I don't want to cause you any unnecessary headache, so I will make up some names to make it easier for you. Don't worry, I'm sure you don't need any of these after.

We will call my clan, Orlom. And it was ruled by the great chief Rodri, it's not his real name, don't question it.

Now, chief Rodri was.. is a good man and not as cruel as the clan's traditions made him looked. Unfortunately, he lacked the courage to make the right decisions for the clan. It's not because he wouldn't want to, but it was because his advisers wouldn't let him.

It's obvious to everyone that they were the ones who held the strings over the chief, like he was nothing more than their jolly puppet.

It was the advisers who made the decisions that affected the future of our clan, while they let the chief had the little trivial matters.

It didn't help that their judgments were often cold and critical. As long as it was profitable for the clan, it didn't matter if the people were suffering. But despite all that, their hearts were in the right place at first, they only wanted for the clan to survive, to live long.

The advisers, four of them, a lot I know. All of them were experienced and wise men, each with their own dream for the clan. They hailed from four different and old families from the clan that hated each other guts with a passion. Cheery, isn't it?

Their families had always been a long line of advisers, their rivalry was ancient and never been put to rest. You can just imagine how civilized their meetings would go, yelling at each other to get results, it was a huge unpredictable storm.

The only time they managed to set their differences aside and work together was when someone threatened the clan. Hm, it wasn't hard for them to come to an agreement when the clan's survival also meant theirs, kind of explained much about them, didn't it?

Anyway, being a hunter, put me closer to the inner circle, the first place I needed to fix. It was their actions and decisions that reflected heavily on the people, if they could change then so could the people.

It is starting to sound like a story that came out of children's stories, isn't it?

A boy who is trying to save his home from evil.

Funny the more I think about it.

But, moving on,

I suspected that father's name had smoothen the process on becoming the clan's hunter. He was a great hunter and a good brother. It's enlightening to know that honor among brothers wasn't truly lost in those dark times.

But what I thought would be an advantage, proved to be the opposite when they discovered that I was unlike my father. Their high expectations for me was shattered because of my compassionate opinions. They stated rather strongly that it was a sign of weakness and how it could put the clan at risk.

But, I stood by my opinions, which angered them even further. Not very popular as you can see. Yet, don't worry, I saw their insults and temper tantrums as a thought of being able to change their mind in the near future, only strengthen my determination.

I won't lie, there were times where I was at my lowest, tired of it all. At those times, I always tried to remember who and why I was fighting this for, it never fail to raise me back up.

Within time, I proved to them that my weakness became my strongest point. Their opinions soon changed and it didn't take long before all of them came around and got comfortable with my vision.

Nevertheless, I am proud to fight alongside them. They are the best brothers any warrior could have asked for. Bless their souls.

It took some years before the chief selected a few of us to be the newest members of his elite warriors, and I was one of them.

Other than protecting the clan like any warriors, we were also to represent the might of our clan to our rivals in the arena.

It was a monthly event where various clans would gather and choose their best warriors to represent their clan in a friendly spar, a tradition to keep all of the clans united, or so they said.

The advisers mostly wanted to show off the clan's power and were very passionate with the bragging rights.

Regardless, being elite warriors meant that I gained one step closer to my goal. It granted me the places I previously couldn't reach, like the Chief.

I started by being his loyal warrior and a friend. He had many good ideas for the Clan and its people, but the advisers cast them aside without a second to waste.

Deep in his heart, he knew that he was there only to keep up the appearances, if it weren't for his blood, he would be banished like any other.

People didn't take him seriously for that, and so he was grateful for my honest support and valued our friendship greatly. And so do I.

It didn't take long before he demanded to make me as his personal bodyguard. A big decision that shocked the advisers. Normally they would refuse such a wasteful idea, but they considered it after remembering all of the victories I had brought to the clan.

They agreed that it would make the clan appeared more intimidating when the chief had a bodyguard with a very menacing reputation. And so, they let Rodri entertained himself with a new bodyguard.

This was a crucial moment, stranger, because without my current rank, I wouldn't be able to save the clan from its own careless downfall. The one opportunity that had changed my Clan for the better.

Let me explain.

My clan wasn't a force to be reckoned with. The other clans knew that, even any elven hunters wouldn't attack us without forming a plan first.

But one day, we found ourselves in a very vulnerable state, where a band of raiders managed to slip through our notice and had taken control over the Clan. It was hard to believe that they would come up with a very well executed infiltration all on their own. A few helping hands was the only logical explanation, our rivals no doubt. And It wouldn't be much of a surprise, considering how the advisers were.

Speaking of those four, the advisers had given up on everything and could only whimper under their masks. Seeing that, the chief turned to find safety in praying for our swift deaths.

As they collapsed into despair, the rest soon followed.

The people were forced to deal with the bandits on their own while the clan's protectors were out to protect their own life or families. It was like I was reliving my childhood, alone to fight a battle that was forced on to me.

And that needed to end. I took the matter into my own hands and knocked some bravery into them all. I reminded them, that it was ridiculous that a mere bandit attack would be a problem for this chaotic clan. I took the command, rallied all of the warriors and launched the all out attack to wipe the bandits from our home. The people wouldn't be fighting on their own that day. This time, they could depend on us.

We were victors. Together finally as we should be a long time ago.

Not only I claimed most of the people's hearts, but surprisingly made the adviser frozen hearts to melt. They confessed that they needed to learn more and asked for my guidance in the future.

It was the mark of a golden age for Orlom,

and the first day of my new duty as Orlom's Champion.

After many generations, my clan finally set aside their self-centered traditions. We looked like a true family and it suited Orlom perfectly. I promised to keep it that way as their new Champion and soon the chief's second.

We were changing into a solid and strong family, slowly returning the glory from the old days. It was so great that I was ready to retire too.

Hah no, I was not one to rest, stranger.

The advisers offered me a place in their circle, but I refused them. Because I knew that I would do more good out there, with the people. They were disappointed, the same could be said for the chief who gave me the same offer. But he took it better than them and asked me what I really wanted.

He contemplated on my words and was quick to make them realized as best as he could. He gave me another offer and this time he knew that I couldn't refuse.

He let me created a group of my own and given me the task to maintain the peace between the other clans. He believed that I would be the best choice to protect the peace, especially with our rivals.

I loved that man.

With all of my new responsibilities, I realized that I would be leaving mother more often. Don't worry she had been in a happier mood and was supportive of my journey right from the start.

I will never forget that smile she gave me when I became a warrior of the clan. Or how she would show me off to the others, her champion, she said.

I thought I had lost that side of her after father's death.

Hm, you know stranger, I told her that I wouldn't repeat the same mistake my father made. I promised her that I wouldn't hurt her like he did. And she didn't believe me.

I hope she is grinning so wide right now, knowing that I kept that promise.

No, nothing extreme, it was old age that took her away from me.

I used to think that both of them would watch over me from the beyond and I would try to do my best to keep them proud. It was silly, but it helped me deal with their death. I was only human after all.

Ah, excuse me. Where was I..

I didn't have to think long for the members of my group. They were my fellow brothers, those who had been by my side in so many battles. Some that I knew way back when we were recruits and a few others I met when I participated in the clan's battle arena.

I was very glad when they accepted my offer.

Thus, new adventures awaited us. It really opened my eyes of how little Orlom's problems compared to the rest of the world. My knowledge of the outside was limited, since my sources of information about the matter were our elder, the traveling hunters, and lastly the arena. Obviously, it didn't prepare us for the nightmares that awaited.

The Elves. Missions after missions, they never stray away from how far their cruelty could go.

My first encounter with one was at a simple delivery task to a small clan. It turned into something quite different when we arrived. We discovered that some insane elves had invaded them and they wanted to "harvest" the humans for their ritual. I shuddered to think what would become of them if we hadn't interfered.

But don't think of us too heroically, stranger. We didn't give those elves a fair fight, instead we attacked them under the darkness of night and had to resort to the dirtiest of tricks. We were there to save those people, not wasting our life for being heroic.

Not to mention that there were two of them, both were powerful mages.

We had seen the gruesome remains of what used to be the clan's defenders, I couldn't imagine the sorrow that their loved ones had to endure when they knew of their fate.

So I took great pleasure as I plunged my blade into their hearts and saw those eyes looking at my mask with pure shock.

My first elvhen hunt and one of the greatest hunt I ever had.

I did say that my first intention was to save those people, so I didn't expect the attention that suddenly came from slaying an elf. The news spread wildly and beyond any of our control. It didn't take long before people started to see me as the first elven slayer.

Then, it turned into the slayer of the mighty gods and it kept on changing. The more it passed to another ear, the more exaggerated it sounded.

Soon, everyone would know me just by a look at my mask.

Yes, this very one, stranger.

Once this was just a symbol for being Orlom's Champion.

Young and naive I was to be dazzled by their admiration and praises that I didn't realize how I had disturbed the way of the realm.

The Elvhen tried to act like nothing happened, of course. It would be bad for them to show their concerns for a group of mangy beasts to the public eyes. Typical. But, we still felt some changes and we definitely noticed the increasing visits from their kind.

But thankfully, they were just the young and foolishly brave glory seekers. Trying to impress or to prove the existence of the beast from their stories.

I didn't know about this, not for a very long time, but there was an interesting version of the story that the Elves had created. It was about a beast that hunted down the foolish one and devoured their flesh to satisfy its hunger for Elvhen Blood.

The story caused plenty of troubles for the humans for some months. It was the only troubles I got from their kind, until we discovered a city of Slaves.

was starting to believe that everything had calmed down with the stories, that I finally became a myth to them, which was preferable.

As much as I hate their magic, I hate their tradition in slavery even more. I can't even begin to fathom how one could bring themselves to do such a thing to another. And you should know that they even enslaved their own kind too, disgusting.

My brothers and I agreed to end that place, even if we had to sacrifice everything. We made the slaves to rebel their Masters and helped us reached the city's lord.

In return, we promised them their greatest desire. Those people didn't need any sympathies or kindness, all they needed was vengeance and their master's blood, a lot of them.

The Lord claimed to be a faithful follower of a powerful god, sent to the mortal world to teach us of our proper place. He did put up a good fight, but I was better..

The city crumbled down as his head rolled down the steps of his throne.

However it didn't end there, we then learned about his brother and his "Slaughter House".

Ah, it was worse than a city of slaves. To think that I had figured out the Elves and their craziness, but once again, their magic proved me wrong, so wrong.

He would receive a fair amount of people, slaves, from his brother and then he would treated them as livestock there in his "House". He used their life force to satisfy his thirst for power.

The rituals he would do to achieve that were... unforgivable.

He and everything in that place needed to burn. And that was exactly what we did.

We took his eyes, hands and tongue, then watched him as he burned. His suffering wouldn't give us anything, but it was the least we could do for those who died in that place. We hoped they could hear his pain.

What's that? Ah yes, things turned grim rather fast.

You can guess the consequences of our actions for killing those two Elves. They were not your common crazies, it was true that they came from a very respectable lineage. The great Elvhen was displeased, after hearing their death and the destruction of their precious assets. Yet, they acted like nothing happened, just to save their unblemished reputation, even went all the way to wipe those dead elves from their spotless records, so much for a faithful follower.

But, unlike before, they started to acknowledge me as more than a story to frighten their children. The Elves, who travelled near our land, had more securities with them and chose to stay away from us. There were even spies that watched over the human hunters.

Nothing harmful, it was to prevent anymore human attacks, or so they say. It was a drastic change, I admit. But it wasn't so bad, we showed them that we could and we would fight back for our life. We refused to be their entertainment, their livestock, their trophies.

It was a better life and we would survive this one too.

Yes, stranger? A Partner?

What sort of partner do you mean?

Oh.

Finally, you revealed your true purpose.

Oh, so now you chose to be shy about it.

No need, stranger. I knew you would bring that up.

My love life, I had little interest in that matter, truth be told. My duties kept me busy, kept my mind busy. There were plenty of opportunities, believe me. There were people who wished to share their life with me. I would want that to, to settle down and to start a family, but I didn't feel the need for it. Not until I met a certain someone.

I hate that my hormones started to kick in at the one person who would set the Gods on a fiery rampage. That being said, we start this at another very beautiful day...

 _To be continued..._

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 **Huh, that was totally not long.**

 **Thanks for reading, lovelies.**

 **I hope you like it and decide to follow this story with me xD**

 **Have a lovely day, you beautiful something!**


	2. Chapter 2 : The Lover

**Hey. Hey there, lovelies.**

 **I really appreciate you, you know that.**

 **Hope you enjoy the story so far.**

 **Uh, okay, bye.**

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Ironic that the most disastrous things always happen in a pleasant day.

No one saw it coming, not until we were at our very last breath.

Perhaps, there were some signs, but I ignored them all.

Impatient, are we?

You never look this interested in my story so far. Got a penchant for love stories? Everyone with their own preferences.

To be honest, I never thought that I would tell anyone about this. Where to begin?

Hmm, so it had been some time since there was any mixture of crazy elves and magic in our assignments. Everything went on normally, nothing we couldn't understand.

The spies had made the other clans nervous. Even though their company was short lived, with more of them seemed to vanish as the week passed, but it wasn't enough to ease their worries.

And through that, our advisers saw profit and they were more than happy to offer our services. We got plenty of escort missions for that.

I was very glad that it was spring. Thinking back, I used to enjoy the woods as a child, I spent most of my time there, sometimes my father would come along in his off duties.

The Elves had ruined that for me, right after I saw father's headless body and learned the hard truth about the world.

At least, the peace had returned, because of the destruction of the old slaver bases. And I was starting to enjoy my time in the peaceful woods with the company of my fellow brothers.

Eventually, the excitements came back.

We received an order to travel to another clan in the west. We were expecting another escort, but it turned out to be a bit more complicated.

On our journey, we had to stop midway when a man came running towards us, bumped into us, to be precise. He was terrified and begged us for his life. After we managed to calm him down, he turned to plead for our help.

Not far from our location, the home of his people were attacked by a couple of elves. They had taken them hostages and he didn't know what they were planning to do with them. He was sure it wouldn't be good, since those elves murdered their leader and all of the hunters.

Those people were not special, they had nothing valuable for the elves. Only the worse kinds who would hunt humans like them, slavers if not the insane.

We quickly put our main objective on hold in order to help his people.

It was odd that the Elves managed to find them, because their home were well-hidden. The man said that the elves just appeared at their doorstep and forced them to submit. They slaughtered those who struggled.

The situation was a lot more horrible when we arrived. From our hiding spot, we saw the elves had rounded up the hostages, with dead humans all around them. It was sickening how far their cruel and cold hearts would go.

I wanted to avenge them, but the craftsmanship of their armors and weapons made us pause. They were the fanciest things we had ever seen on an elf before. They looked like elite warriors or lords that hailed from high places, definitely couldn't be compared with the slavers or maniacs.

Therefore, we used the dirtiest tactic to attack them, playing it all safe. We caught them off-guard and made short work out of them.

The hostages moved in to join us after the elves were unarmed and vulnerable on the ground. The elves were already long gone before they finally stopped, and left their beaten bodies alone.

It was a silent victory, nothing to cheer or to celebrate, not when death surrounded us. No one knew about the attack or the purpose of it, since the elves had been speaking in their own tongue. Everything about them bothered me, it was rare that elves like them would travel to a human territory in such a small number, quite recklessly I might add.

We had been through enough to know that nothing was simple with fancy elves. I couldn't take the risk, so I convinced them to take temporary shelter in a nearby clan until everything had calmed down.

Unfortunately for us all, somewhere in the distance, a loud horn surprised us.

It didn't belong to a human, so we suspected the worse.

Some of the people made a run for it with heavy hearts, while a few remained stubborn. Yet, understandable, it was their right to fight for their home and loved ones.

Soon, we could hear the rattling noises from their heavy armors, rather intimidating, even more when we saw their numbers, practically an army, all armed to the teeth, ready to march to some battle rather than a hunting game.

Unexpectedly, they didn't obliterate us right away, even after seeing the dead elves on the ground. We weren't sure how to proceed, but I ordered them to hold their ground. We would act when an opportunity presented itself.

My brothers and I stood tall before them, giving them no satisfaction in their desperate attempts to scare us.

The intense battle of silence were cut short, when another and fancier elf arrived on his mighty halla. The army made way for the elf, making it obvious that he held the most power.

The Elf lord and his halla stood gracefully in front of us, pride and superiority radiated from them. He looked down on us, studying us, before glancing at the dead elves. Then, he talked to the soldier beside him. We might not understand their language, but he sounded unimpressed.

As he turned his attention back to us, we were sure that he would order for our heads. But again, he didn't, he just continued to observe us, pondering.

A raging elf would be a quicker death than a contemplating one.

Unlike my brothers and I, the rest of those people had scarcely seen an elf, let alone fought one. Even with our help, we wouldn't be able to take them all. There was no chance for us to make it out alive.

But, I was hopeful, stranger.

His army raised their weapons in alarm as I took a step forward to their lord, who remained unimpressed as my mask stared at him.

The distance between us wouldn't allow me to reach him before his men arrowed me down, although that wasn't my plan. I slowly dropped my weapon to the side.

My brothers highly disapproved of that, but they followed nonetheless.

After I was unarmed, I greeted their leader in my own tongue, hoping he would understand or we had to resort back to tearing each other apart.

One of the elf shouted at me in anger and I was more than ready to reach for my dagger, but their leader stopped me. He said something to the angry elf to make him back off. The Elf lord sounded amused, but not upset.

I took it as an invitation, so I explained to him what the dead elves did. I claimed to be the one who was responsible for their demise and would face the consequence without a fight, if he spared my men. My brothers sounded their disagreement, but I waved them off.

The Elf lord smirked and shook his head. He was enjoying the whole thing. Smug bastard.

We weren't prepared when he spoke back in our tongue, roughly.

I was entertaining, he said. I could say the same to him, he was the first elf to use our language.

He asked for my opinion about a proper punishment for my actions. However, the playful tone of his voice poked my temper.

I blatantly reminded him that those elves had destroyed what once was a peaceful home for many innocent families. I pointed at the dead humans and said that many of them had to witness their loved ones die, right before their very eyes. I strongly stated to do no wrong in killing those elves. It was justice.

I kept my calm posture as the conversation turned downhill. I didn't dare hope for him to be considerate.

The Elf Lord rode closer to me, his voice was stern when he commanded me to take off my mask. He wished to see the face of the human that had caused quite a story for his people.

Oh yes, he had heard of me.

I found it suspicious when he sounded interested rather than hateful about it. Nonetheless, I did as he asked for the sake of others, or so I told myself.

I unfastened my mask and took it off, dropping it to the ground. If I had known that decision would led us to our pitiful and bitter end, I would rather let them finish me off right there.

Then, he made the next move that truly sealed our bitter fate together.

He took off his own helmet.

The moment I laid my eyes on him, stranger. It was a rush of emotions. I couldn't stop admiring his beauty and had to remind myself repeatedly of how dangerous his kind was.

Yet, all of those sensible reasons were casted away as our eyes met. None of us had the intentions in parting.

He suffered the same, but was a less subtle than I. The burning color on his cheeks and the change in his gaze that was slowly turning into something a bit shameful.

It took us a few seconds before he cleared his throat and returned us back to the present, back to our surroundings and audiences.

He refused to meet my eyes the second time, looking through me and to my men. He explained that the dead elves were fugitives, they were under his command before they betrayed him. They hid in the mortal realm, because they were desperate.

Although, he wasn't pleased that things turned out as they were, wasting so much time chasing after them only to find them dead.

Then, he dared himself to glance back at me with such uncertainty and... nervousness. It was almost painful to see, a powerful figure would melt into a big puddle by my eyes alone. Of course, I kept those flattering thoughts to myself.

Then he put back his helmet, and out of nowhere, he told us that he was feeling merciful. He forgave our insolence and only left us with a warning to never oppose the Great Elvhen.

He then turned and rode off.

His own men was as baffled as we were. Reluctantly, they started to follow him, and after a minute or two, the elves had cleared out.

The others were in too much shock to give an immediate reaction. It was unsettling for us to dodge death's embrace once more, but not for those people, they were curious on how I did it. I had no answers for them, because it didn't feel like an end.

And it wasn't, I just entangled myself further in Fate's games.

The people, who remained, let us make camp near their home. It was too dark to continue on with our journey and we couldn't risk running into those elves.

The people offered us their huts, but that would be disrespectful for the recently deceased. Half of my brothers went to help the people with the funeral, while the rest were asleep, and I was the only one still awake.

Recent events made it hard for me to sleep, stranger. It was rather silly that he had plagued my mind and showed no signs of leaving. Alas, the night was young and had more plans just for me.

Deep in the forest, a sweet tune appeared, it was an enchanting and inviting melody. Obviously, it wanted my attention and to get me far away from my brothers. The whole thing screamed magic, but the thought of him made it effortless for me to follow that sweet melodic trap.

I was never a man without a plan, so recklessly ran towards magic. But that night, I was not my usual self, I followed what my naive heart wanted. And it was to see him again.

I walked through the darkness of the forest with only the sweet tune to accompany and to guide my way. The camp was entirely out of sight behind me, which meant I was all alone.

It was maddening that the thought didn't bother me.

Soon after, I ended up in front of a small lake, right in the middle of the forest. The way the moonlight reflected on its waters made everything looked calming and innocent.

Just for a second, before I heard someone else behind the shadows of the forest. I immediately took out my blade and demanded them to reveal themselves.

When they came into view, I felt my grip faltered.

You wouldn't believe how my heart reacted to him, just like a boy in heat. It was very disappointing of how little self control I had.

It only made matters worse, when I realized that he was all alone.

I kept hoping that he would signal his underlings to come out and ambush me, but there was none. He was on his own, unarmed and got that look on his face that fasten my heartbeat.

He moved towards me with such grace and beauty. He didn't wear his glamorous armor, only pretty silk that complimented his figure.

He stopped at a fair distance in front of me, just at the precise spot to have the moonlight reflected on his perfect hair. I couldn't possibly forget that day.

He apologized for the deception, confessed that he didn't mean any harm by it. His only intention was to talk, and then he continued to mutter all sorts of things, correcting himself a few times too. It made him looked so different than I imagined him to be, in a good way.

I used his origin to cage those feelings away, and demanded that he revealed his true intentions. He averted his gaze from my mask, his finger was playing with his hair. I didn't know how to respond to that, even more after he told me that he wished to know me better, wanted to hear the truth behind the unbelievable rumors that he heard. He thought that they were incredible and that I was incredible.

It scared me, that the cage I had, was breaking. I felt the urge to fulfill his every wish, anything to please him. I wasn't against the idea of spending time with him, getting to know him.

I told him that it was dangerous to be meeting like this and pointed out at how poorly protected he was. In return, he made a... playful remark that made my ears red, something about noticing his change in attire. Details are irrelevant.

I was both flattered and irritated by his sweet words. It felt like a weakness to stumble upon my words and feeling shy about it all. Heh, like father like son, so prideful.

Even so, I quickly regretted the harsh words I made.

I felt a stab in my heart when he looked so miserable, like a kicked cub, looking down with a sad and embarrassed expression. He apologized weakly and blamed himself for being so thoughtless and insensitive.

And there it was, stranger, the sound of my cage shattering. I asked him what he wished to know about me and a flicker of hope came back to his hypnotizing eyes.

I wanted to feel ashamed for this, but I felt glad that I was the one who made him smile that sweetly.

From there, we talked about anything that came into mind. I tried to put some boundaries, but it was difficult, we talked so naturally and he always had a way to slip passed them. He didn't hold back on my account, talking freely about his personal life and his people.

He hailed from a very respectable family, who had served their Gods for generations. Even though, he was the youngest child of two, his parents wanted greatness from him. Unfortunately, he stated that he had little love for the Gods and their way of life. He wanted to put an end to their foul traditions and brought peace to all realms, to all living beings.

Back then, I believed that he meant the peace for his own people, and just added mine and the others to be polite. But, in the end, he tried to prove me wrong. He really tried.

In secret, he he had done a few small things to make some changes for the Elvhen better future. One of them was to align himself with a group, who shared the same vision as he. He had indirectly betrayed his family for associating with that group.

His brother wouldn't hesitate on calling him a traitor if words got out, he had always hated him since he was born. He joked that his brother would literally ran screaming to tell their father if he knew about his human friend.

Yes, he boldly told me that I was a friend. How easy for him to say it, to say all of those personal things to me. And what's more laughable? I felt happy for that.

And worried for his safety, but I couldn't tell him, how could I?

So instead, I returned the favor and started to tell him more about myself. I didn't intend on telling him so much, but I felt like I could open up to him. It was something I had never done before, not even with my brothers.

I was a quiet lad and then grew up into a quiet man. I only shared what was necessary, so I tended to keep things to myself. I couldn't remember the last time I talked that long about myself, it was both tiring and satisfying.

It made me realized that I trusted him as much as he trusted me.

Everything we had that night, our laughter, our playful words, our awkward moments, they were all real. It is a memory that I will always cherish.

After that night, we tried to keep in touch with each other. Although, he did most of the effort, using his magical owl to exchange letters and other special trinkets to contact me. It all seemed harmless at first, sharing some trivial things, small talks or anything interesting to mention. I personally liked it.

What a young fool, a selfish fool.

If anyone were to discover us, he would be in more danger than I.

When I failed to convince myself to see some sense, I turned to him, hoping he would see it, but he was as stubborn as I.

I did not understand what he saw in me or why he held on so strongly to me, a human at that. And that will always remain a mystery, stranger.

As time went on, our letters started to change rather intimately. But we never explored those changes, I refused to. It was the only thing I could do, since I couldn't make myself to cut ties with him. Dismissing those false hopes and to remain friends. All of those to protect him and it was effective for a time.

Until fate finally decided to meddle in again.

On a hunt, I got injured pretty severely. I got unlucky and earned a deep cut on my right hip. The clan's shaman had a concerned look and ordered a week rest for me.

The injuries didn't heal well in those few days. I was sure that it wouldn't be long, no matter how much they sugar-coated it.

It would be a good way to die, I thought.

I might broke my promise to mother, but I'm sure that she wouldn't mind much.

Shame that fate was anything but simple.

At one night, I received an uninvited guest inside my hut. He too wasn't fond of my acceptance to death. From my dying bed, I saw that the visitor was an outsider, so I tried to reach for my blade to arm myself, poorly at that.

The visitor hid his identity behind his cloak, but my high fever had created an illusion that reminded me of him. I wanted to see him again for the very last time. I imagined how I bravely confessed my hidden feelings for him and finally be free of it.

While I was dreaming those fantasies, I accidentally called out his name. He flinched, either because of what I said or because he saw the mess in front of him.

When he took off his cloak, I quickly lowered my blade and cursed at anything I could think of.

The Elf lord, he was there, looking at me with utter sorrow.

I didn't have to ask why he was there, he answered that question all by himself. He received news of my accident and went to see me straight away. He apologized that he didn't know about it sooner.

He looked like a mess, couldn't get a hold of himself, all because of me.

He demanded to see my wounds, ignoring my attempts to refuse his attention. He didn't want to hear my goodbyes, he got angry for how easily I gave up.

I chuckled and assured him that everything would be fine, death would come to all of us mortals.

Still, I complied and opened up the bandages.

The shaman managed to stop the bleeding but she couldn't stop the infection.

He held a strong face and whispered to me, asking me to trust him.

I was unsure, but as soon as he started to mumble some strange words, I realized what he was doing. I tried to reason with him that using his magic to heal me would only give him trouble, but he didn't listen.

In the end, he healed me and saved my life.

He wasn't ready to let me go, stranger.

He would use his magic again and again if it was for me.

He was willing to disregard anything for me.

And he meant anything.

I should be afraid by his blind dedication, but instead, I craved for it.

He confessed that he cared deeply for me, more than a friend, more than a brother. I gave up on all of my self-control and the restrain I had put up since the very beginning. I let the night took us away, forgetting about the world and its problems, no humans, no elves, nobody but us.

It was so easy for him to show all of those loving expressions. How lightly he would describe his feelings for me.

I envied him.

I wasn't a man of feelings.

I regretted that I didn't tell him how much he meant to me as often as I could. I was so bad at that, but I swore to myself, stranger, that I would do everything to fulfill his desires, to make him happy. The troubling thing was that I would even consider on choosing him over my own people.

That's just how much I love him. I had a taste and I wasn't willing to let it go.

I knew I was heading somewhere dark. I knew that there wouldn't be a sweet happy ending to our story. I could stop it at anytime knowing where it would lead us, but I didn't.

All because I was selfish and stupidly in love.

I had made our graves, our bitter end.

Years later, the peace he had brought to my land had finally came to an end. You see, stranger, the conflict between his people and their Gods had escalated. His people were rebelling against their chains. The rebels had spreaded wide to take on the God's servants from all directions. My love left his own family to fight for their future. He was so proud to be called a traitor and I was happy for him.

He idolized their leader. I never met him, but I knew the stories about him. An inspiring icon for his people, because of him, they had made it thus far and left the Gods' followers disoriented.

However, it was somewhat pitiful, that what once was the most powerful race in all realms was in war with themselves. Whatever the outcomes might be, other races would benefited from the scraps.

I didn't think much on it, because I was busy supporting my love and his plans to make their new base of operation near the human territory. He was sure that the enemies wouldn't suspect it to be there. It was the advantages they need for the war.

He and his "friends" went to our realm and asked for my clan first, they promised amazing things in exchange for our aid in defeating the tyrant Gods. They promised us a new age, where both races could live together in harmony, freedom and equality.

As a sign of good faith, he ordered the eradication of slavery and those who hunted us.

I stood by him as he gathered the rest of the clans and convinced them to fight alongside his people as allies. Clan Orlom and many others agreed to join us, mostly because they trusted me. I was chosen to represent humanity in the rebellion.

Sadly, I saw through their facades.

They might hate the slavers and the masters as much as we did, but the elves would always look down on us.

I saw it, but I didn't say anything, not when my love was so passionate for this alliance, it would destroy him if he knew. I couldn't bring myself to do that to him.

The Elves treated us like their tamed beasts, never as an equal. I was thankfully that my people were too blinded by their gifts to realize it. Perhaps, we were excessively simple minded.

But, some of their gifts of power, wealth and knowledge troubled my heart. Some of them were just an excuse to experiment on us, changing us into weapons. Methods that were too dangerous to be implemented on their own kind.

But again, I remained oblivious of it. I didn't do anything to discourage their practices. I continued to watch as they tested many dangerous spells and rituals on us, turning us into deadly weapons for their war.

My love wanted to enhance me with their gifts too. He was a little disappointed when I refused the gift, but he didn't force me into any of it.

He just wanted to give the best for me, all of the knowledge, power, wealth, anything.

Yet, all I wanted was for his dream to be realized.

We fought and successfully won many battles. None of them were prepared for our alliance, especially, after the rebels had upgraded us. But, there were also days where we faced defeats. My love felt guilty for bringing death and war to my people. He wished that I could be with someone better, a man that could bring me happiness.

I comforted him and told him that I had found that man. I promised to him that even if our future together were chaotic, I would never trade him for anyone else.

I miss him.

I can see the curiosity in your eyes, stranger.

Unusual for you to be so out of questions now, but, I already know what is really in your mind.

As you can see, he isn't with us now.

Yes, you can assume the worst.

Ironic that worst things would happen in a very pleasant day.

One of our largest base was in the realm of man, a place where humans and rebel elves coexisted. Once it was called Orlom, and now it was a sanctuary for both races, a true picture of our strong alliance. It was also a place that resembled most of my love's dream.

We had gone far to achieve this, only to see it burned down.

A traitor amongst us, giving the enemy a way in with all of our weak points. They took us by surprise, by the time we realized the treason, we were already in ruins.

When we defended our home, our elven friends used it as a chance to escape through the eluvians, one of magical device that the elves had brought to us. A mirror-like tool that could transport one from a place to another.

And what's worse, they shattered the eluvians behind them. It was a painful betrayal.

He and some of the elves had chosen to stay and to fight with us, but it wasn't enough. The enemies had us trapped.

I brought this to my clan, stranger. My lust tainted our sanctuary in blood. My clan didn't deserve to die like so.

I was in so much rage and guilt that I needed to take the enemies with me until my very last breath. I lost myself in the battlefield. I killed many of them, wave after wave, and they kept on coming.

Then suddenly, instead of fighting to the very last drop of blood alongside my remaining brothers and sisters, he pulled me away to safety. He dragged me into our hut and locked us in. He held onto me as I lashed out in fury.

It was frightening to know that there were people outside who were dying because they believed in me. And there I was, cowering inside of that small temporary haven.

I felt defeated and told him how sorry I was that I couldn't protect him and my people. I wished he would be angry with me or be disappointed in me.

We knew what would come next... So we said our goodbyes.

When the door broke down, we were prepared to make it difficult for the enemy.

However, either it was luck or fate, we didn't receive a hundred of arrows, instead, armed soldiers marched inside the hut and surrounded us with their spears.

Soon one elf, wearing the same armor as my love when we first met, came in and took charge.

It was his older brother.

His brother stunned us with his magic and ordered his soldiers to restrain us. He pointed out his little brother's traitorous ways and also his unhealthy obsessions over a rabid animal.

He was not shy to show his disgust on me.

His soldier knocked me unconscious, but not dead yet.

I woke up and found myself inside a grand hall that belonged to an elven palace. It was his old home, the palace had his fair share of battles, his doing.

His family was loyal to the Gods, they had an important place amongst the followers and the honor to master many slaves. Until, their own son smuggled in the rebellion into his own home and gave them a surprise attack from within. The victory resulted in the death of his own father along with many of his greatest warriors.

Since then, he was marked as one of the most wanted traitors in their realm. And his older brother wanted his blood the most.

After I cleared my head, I heard noises behind me, it was my love.

He was restrained and gagged, but not alone. His brother restlessly mocked, but my love just shrugged them off. His brother grabbed him by the neck and threatened him that he would watch as he crush the one he care for.

His brother glance at me and panic started to appear in my love's eyes. He pushed him to the ground and took a seat on his ruined throne.

He talked about how he knew about his brother's little "playground", he was monologuing. The two brothers had much to catch up and I chose to stay away from the whole ordeal. I would make things worse if he discovered that I understood their language.

The time I had wasn't enough to get out of my binds. After he was satisfied with belittling his younger brother, he gave me his undivided attention. He stated that he always wanted to meet the beast that had devoured many of their kind.

Suddenly, three soldiers showed up around me.

His brother hoped that my love would enjoy the show, then he nodded to the guards.

Thus, the beating started.

It might be the worst I've ever had.

Under the crackling sounds of my bones, I could hear my love muffled shouts.

It would be easier for me to leave then after hearing his voice. I already made plans to wait for him in the other side too. But, that didn't quite happen.

A loud booming sound appeared and the soldiers had stopped beating me. I lost my left eye and had to resort to my other barely good eye. My bloodied mask was broken in half and when I tried to move my body, it came with no success.

Out of nowhere, I felt gentle hands carefully helped me up to stand.

I knew it was him, so I told him to leave me, but he ignored my request.

He dragged me through the palace and we arrived inside a study. He locked the door behind us and set me down in front of an eluvian.

He promised that he would get us out of here, to give us a new life far away from all of these.

He was crying as he continued to shower me with many happy promises.

I whispered to him that I believed him. I will always believe in him.

I heard him started to chant in elvish, activating the eluvian.

The study belonged to his mother, back when everything was joyful in their family. They thought that the eluvian was broken, so they kept it here as a decoration in her memory. He was closest with her and knew that she had put up an extra lock in it.

As the mirror responded, our escape plan looked bright.

Alas, when the door behind us was kicked opened, we knew it wouldn't be that easy.

His brother had gained up on us.

There was a bruise in his face and his armor didn't look as pristine.

He insulted his brother for his cowardice and challenged him for a duel.

My love couldn't break away from the spell, so I release myself from his arms. He protested but I assured him to continue.

Limping, I walked to hold off his brother. He seemed offended by the challenger, but still rose his blade to me. He mocked about how pathetic his guard dog was. Only this time, I didn't keep my silence. I spoke back in their language, telling him that he was no different.

It was pathetic, that he couldn't finish off one human. I didn't know what made him red first, the language or the insult.

Suddenly, he casted fireballs towards me, carelessly I might add. I dodged them easily, but also got a reminder that my body was in total shambles.

I reached for the darts in my armor and threw them to him. He cursed when they hit his hand and neck. He took them off and furiously charged towards me with his blade. I was about to oblige him when another fireball came from behind and passed through me.

His brother braced himself for the fiery blast while I stumbled backwards.

Someone pulled me back.

I felt a magical force on my chest and then it followed by a push.

My body was flying back and into the mirror.

It was like time had slowed down when our eyes met.

He smiled at me and said,

"I love you."

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **Bless you lovely reader**

 **Hope you have a good day.**

 **Until next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3 : The Prison

**Good day, lovelies!**

 **Hope you will enjoy the new chapter!**

* * *

That smile appeared.

Never thought that he could be more beautiful than he already was.

The fiery blaze that illuminated behind him only made it better.

I hit the ground with my back, rolled twice before I landed on my side.

It was not hard to figure out where I was, since I never like travelling through the eluvians. They always give me the same kind of headaches.

I tried to push myself back up, but my body wouldn't comply. I tried again, but I couldn't feel both of my legs. My whole body was starting to give up on me, but I wouldn't let them. I forced myself and then resorted to crawl my way to the mirror. I breathed a little easier when I saw him there, beyond the mirror.

I waited for him to join me, except he didn't.

He just stood there, smiling at me with a hand rested on the other side of the mirror, not through it.

I panicked when I realized what he had done.

I frantically pounded on the mirror while our eyes locked on to each other. His lips were moving, chanting a spell in elvish, while I pleaded for him to stop playing around and to step into the mirror.

Then I noticed the guards behind him, reinforcements entered the study and a movement from his brother, who was recovering from the blast.

I pounded even harder on the mirror, not stopping even after my bloodied hands had stained the glass. Tears fell from his hazel eyes before he chanted the last word, severing the connection.

The mirror turned black, leaving a reflection of a miserable man.

I.. I kept on hitting and calling out his name. Only to be answered by the eerie voices in the crossroad. I finally stopped when there was a sharp pain in my chest, soon I started to cough out blood.

I rested my back against the glass as my vision was starting to fade.

Then slowly, darkness took over.

Everything was pitch black, no dream, no voices, not even my own. Only a feeling that my body was floating. I couldn't tell where or for how long I was there.

But, stranger, after everything, don't I deserve a rest? He and fate are a lot alike. Both are meddlers, complicated and could never let me go.

I regained my conscious in the end, stormy green skies greeted me.

I carefully move my body and was able to get up to my feet with little effort or pain. It was odd that my injuries had vanished, not even one scar to prove their existence. And that's not all, my mask was back on my face, then I noticed my armor, all of them in great condition. I was more like how you see me now, stranger, smaller but mostly similar.

You might be wondering how I react to all of this, well, I didn't want to think this place as anything other than the afterlife. So, I was ecstatic for that. I couldn't wait to be reunited with him, even had a silly plan to introduce him to my parents.

Suddenly, my sad illusions were interrupted by a scream that came from above me. As I looked up, I saw small islands with structures on them, they were falling from the stormy green clouds. The islands eventually stopped falling and just levitated in the horizon. I saw from the distance that they began to twist and to transform into something less charming.

Turned out, I was on a similar floating island, with an endless abyss below me. I didn't want to question it and I denied any ideas that told me this was not the after life.

I changed my focused on finding my love, so I went to explore the place.

I followed the path or anything that resembled one. I wondered for some time, but couldn't find a single soul, only more broken and empty elvhen buildings.

The air felt unnatural, common sense didn't apply here and I was beginning to question the lack of human elements. I was beginning to feel nervous.

After a while, I finally saw an elf when I was walking on a ceiling of a library. He was sitting on the floor above me, hiding between the books.

I had to overcome a few obstacles, before I could reach him. At this point, nothing would faze me about the place.

I walked to him, he was still sitting on the ground, hugging both of his knees and burying his head in his arms.

He wore an armor and I realized that it was the enemy color.

I held off the stress when he noticed my presence. He looked sad, then terrified. He frantically moved away and shouted at me to stay away in elvish. He called me a spirit and I didn't know how to react to that.

I told him that I was not a spirit or had any intention on hurting him.

He calmed down after that, then immediately went back on hugging his knees in silence. I asked him about the place, about where we were.

He looked at me in disbelief, asking me if I was joking.

What he had to say next, made me felt weak.

I was not in the afterlife.

He told me the true name of this place and what it really meant.

The rebels had won.

Their leader had imprisoned the Gods and their loyal followers here, permanently cut them off from the other realms.

My love had told me much about this place.

Before your people gave it a new name,

the fade was their homeland that belonged in the heavens. The home of the Gods and the source of their purest magic which flowed to the rest of the realms.

I guessed something had happened when the rebels separated it from the rest of the realms, because this place was the opposite of how my love described it.

Unfortunately, those details meant little to me at that moment.

Many things were clashing inside of my mind. All of the stress that I had buried were digging their way out.

My temper emerged first and I couldn't believe how tired I was with their games.

I asked for a weapon from the elf. He studied my movement and knew what I had in mind for that weapon.

He gently informed me about one tiny problem to my plan.

The place was an eternal prison, even death wouldn't set you free. The spirit will abandon its vessel, but not the fade, it is still bound to it.

A spirit without its vessel would be consumed by the realm. Slowly be lost forever in this wretched place.

It was what happened to his friends, he was the only sane one left after that.

I accepted that information poorly. The elf almost got a heart attack when I fell on my knees and screamed to the skies. I couldn't contain the stress any longer, I was so tired of it all.

After my voice gave in, I remained on my knees, returning the silence to the library.

The two of us remained there for a while. I was not in the mood for anything, but it seemed that the elf's loneliness was too strong to keep him silent. He thought that I was an elf like him, because I spoke his language and my attires had hidden my humanly features.

He talked about the war, the only topic he got, I guess.

He was proud to serve the "All-Father", the tyrant Gods, and couldn't forgive the rebels for ruining his life. He put a lot of faith to his gods and believed that they would save them and put an end to the traitors.

I didn't bother to participate in the conversation, but it did create some ideas for me.

He mentioned it before, but I didn't think much on it. The gods and their followers, their most loyal followers, were trapped here.

Trapped with me.

The thought made me smile, the very first one ever since I got here.

I couldn't resist, I believed that I had found a new purpose. Vengeance.

All of the elves in this forsaken place had a part to play in their death, it was an illusion that I had created. And it felt like a breath of fresh air.

I was mad.

I wasn't thinking straight. My mind continued to darken as I imagined my new hunting game, one by one, I would hunt them down.

My lust for their blood blossomed.

I did not see them as people, but as my prey. Faces, symbols and insignias rushed through my mind, I memorized them and created a long list.

The elf felt the malice radiated out of me. It didn't occur to me that he was not the only one who was affected by my dark thoughts.

This realm is full of raw magic, although I may not understand how it really works, but when my will for that hatred grew, the fade was drawn to me.

It approved and encouraged me to make them all a reality. The realm embraced my dark thoughts and would promise their aid.

Only after I accepted it, I felt a new strength appeared in me, along with a hunger.

The more I craved for their blood, the more sinister I turned.

The elf watched in fear as feral claws, that reflected my new growing hunger, suddenly took shape in both of my hands.

I glanced back to the elf and could taste his fear.

But fortune was with him, I was still in control. I warned him that if he ever saw me again, run.

He was the last to receive such mercy from me.

After I chose this path, I felt my humanity slipped away little by little. As I struck down my first prey, I lost it completely.

The hunger didn't diminish after a kill, no, it made me craved for more. And the fade was more than generous to provide me just that. I could feel their guidance and they always led me to my next prey.

For every kill, the taint would spread through my mind and body, reshaping them into what the fade wanted, a great beast that hungers.

You would call me a demon if we met back then, stranger.

I'm sure even with your courage, you wouldn't dare to approach me.

I was a walking manifestation of evil and madness. My armor merged with my skin, forming something hideous and monstrous. Then it got worse when my mask turned to become my face. It was an embodiment of horror, with fangs that meant to tear off any flesh.

But, despite all of those repulsive transformations, I was aware of my actions. I knew what or who I really was. And deep down, I definitely knew how wrong that path was, but I didn't reject them. I didn't abandon my need for vengeance. I had made those decisions on my own.

And they finally led me to my utter downfall.

It was when the fade gave him to me, the big brother.

He wasn't as proud as he was before. His armor was battered and his blade had dulled.

It wouldn't matter if he didn't recognize me anymore, because I was already drooling for his flesh. I enjoyed his fear as he set his sight on me. He tried to run but it was short lived. I granted him a slow and tedious torture, not death, not for a long while.

After I was done, I knew that I should have ended it. I should have been satisfied. But no, all I felt was the hunger that continued to crave. I had lost myself, stranger. I couldn't control my actions and to make it worse, I wasn't bothered by it at all.

I believed that it was my one true purpose.

Thus, my hunt continued, my feed continued.

I didn't have to kill myself to let my spirit be lost forever in this abyss.

As time passed and the number of my victims grew larger, my appetite soon changed for a larger meal. Of course, the fade was more than willing to serve, so it led me to the deeper parts of the realm, where a bigger power laid dormant.

The other spirits always stayed out of my way, too intimidated by my corruption. Many of them didn't want to be devoured, which I would if given the chance.

Ah, I just realized,

I was becoming more like that savage beast from the stories. How did I not see that?

But anyway, after the long journey,

I found myself in front of a city. It looked like another broken and twisted version of a great Elvhen city.

I couldn't remember what came over me. It was some kind of a vision. It distraught me so much that I failed to notice the spirit who had approached me.

A bold one that spirit, it addressed me in the middle of my troubled wrath, not faltering at all.

The spirit thought that I was just another trapped soul in the fade. Maybe it was because of sympathy that they tried to communicate with me.

Sadly, I was too lost in my primeval hunger to give him any reply. I moved to consume him, claws ready to tear the spirit apart.

They disapproved of my answer and showed just how powerful they were.

The fade was quick to abandon me and to change sides.

With one gesture, the spirit took away all of the corruption within me, forced me to change back into my human form.

I gained my own mind back, along with everything else. I hated it.

I begged to the spirit to return me as I was before. It was better being imprisoned there, when I had a purpose.

I told the spirit that I had to avenge them and that I couldn't fail them again. I broke down to desperate whispers of pleas in front of them. It was pitiful.

The spirit didn't expect a visitor, especially a monstrous one. The spirit would reconsider the return of my purpose, after I told them about my name and my story. I agreed to their terms without a second thought.

Reliving the memory for the first time was hard, but at the end of it, I felt lighter.

The spirit sympathized and said that they understood how it felt to lose someone you love so dearly. However, they also warned me that the path I took would only hurt them.

I would turn all of their sacrifices to something meaningless, and made them be forgotten by the world.

Their voice of reason had irritated me, because I knew how true they were. After the spirits had cleared my mind from the corruption, it was easier to choose the right thing.

Before I left the spirit, it reminded me that the fade was a victory for what my love had been fighting for. This was his dream, and they told me that I had made his dream came true.

The spirit's words echoed in my mind throughout my journey back. If this was a victory, I questioned the purpose of me being here. I could not find any other answer, but to just accept this fate.

To treasure every memory of him and my people. And to accept this fate. It would be best for me and everyone.

If this is how it must end, then I accept it.

If this is what I deserve, then I accept it.

If this is my punishment, then I accept it.

I accept them all. I made my peace.

After all of that, I found myself back in a more lively part of the fade. I started over by spending my time remembering my people's traditions. Adding their stories and his stories to the fade's library, preserved their memories.

For a time, I would entertain myself with the illusions, the fade gave, to cope with my lost. Then, I started to learn to get used to my life here and became more a spirit than human. It felt easier to let my past rest then.

I don't know when exactly, but it did take a while before I met my first dreamer. Then not long after that, a mage. I would react a lot worse if I still had my hunger, I would be aching for their life and tried to possess them. Thanks to that one spirit, I'm at peace with myself and I pay those mages and dreamers no mind.

Although, I would not mind taking part in your dreams, just for the amusement. The fade can be dull at times.

Don't worry, I won't succumb to the same mistake. You won't be seeing that demon for a long time, stranger. Still, I understand why those fellow souls can't resist the temptation. They would resort to any possibilities to escape this prison. I truly owe that spirit my life, wherever they are. It was rather peculiar that I can't remember their form or essence. They must've been a very special entity.

What? The other mages? No, I preferred to draw less attention to myself. I am a very old spirit, stranger. But, that didn't stop some from trying. Like young glory seekers, a few mages would test their bravery and seek me out. I remembered one of them had addressed me and asked for my wisdom. It was always interesting to meet your kind. Although, I disliked it when they tried to bind me. Yes, now I remember why I don't like the attention. But enough about that.

I have told you my story. I hope it is entertaining enough for you. I trust you have questions, the story is hardly believable. Ask away, stranger.

Have I hated him for this? That was different than I expected.

A heavy question there. No, I don't hate him. I can't hate him. I love him too much for it. You should know this by now. From the story, you can see that I was happiest after I met him.

It was hard to let him go, but I did.

Nevertheless, I still think that I am the luckiest man in all of the realms to have the chance to know him, to feel his love. I would do it all over again if I have to, stranger, just to meet a person with such a beautiful soul like him.

Heh, I bet he is feeling so proud of himself if he can hear me now.

Hm? Oh please don't. Are you crying?

Did my story finally bore you to tears? Hah.

The story is not a tragedy, not for me, young one. The hero saved his love from an eternal prison that could destroy everything he was. I think that is the same as a happy ending, don't you agree?

I don't want us to swap places. I don't want him to endure all of the nightmares that will taint his lovely soul.

So please, wipe off that look, young one.

And remember to treasure the time you have with your loved ones. Don't let their memories be tainted. A little advice from an old spirit, take it as you like, young one.

I have to confess,

that you are unlike any other mages I've met before. Most of them are already weird enough to approach a spirit such as I. But you, there is more about you. You kept trying to reach a drifting spirit like me.

I don't know why, but when you asked, I felt that I should tell you the story, young one. I thought it would be hard to retell my past, when I myself have troubles on remembering certain details about it. It has been so long since I went back to that old life. Did you cast one of your spell while I'm not looking? Haha, just a jest.  
I'm sure it's just a coincidence that I was in the mood to reminisce. And some people have that certain charm. I hope you will use that gift for good.

And..  
Thank you for listening. It is always nice to share this with another.

Hey, what's wrong?

Wait! Where are you going?

Be careful where you step!

Those are..

…

…

…

I have never seen this much white in my whole life.

Is this light? Feels strange. I have forgotten how warm it can be.

I wonder what will happen now? Am I going to be separated from my body? I hope it won't be as bad as they say.

Wait. A voice? Is that elvish? The pronunciation is very good. It always feels nostalgic whenever someone uses the language.

What are they saying? They sounded so far away, it's hard what to... Ah, it's getting clearer!

No, it can't be.

I must have misheard that.

Damn it. Not this ache again.

But... Is it really you?

I miss you so much.

You smug bastard.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **AND UNTIL THIS FAR TOO!**

 ***turns off caps lock**

 **See you later in the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4 : Reborn

**Hello, lovelies!**

 **Onward then!**

* * *

"You know what will be marvelous?"

The man looked up from his book and to the other person's question.

The person, who sat across the man, had stopped his own reading with the book already on his lap. He seemed to be captivated by something outside the window.

"No, what do you have in mind?", the man asked, decided to play along.

The man abandoned his book altogether when the person smiled. Something about that smile, why did it feel sad? He couldn't figure out why.

The person tapped the stone with his finger, "A tree!", he exclaimed and grinned mischievously, "Right outside the mead hall. And not just any tree, we'll get the ceremonial one! That will bound to pop their ignorant heads."

The man smiled while raising a brow at him, "That's a sight. And I'm sure nothing bad will come for giving them a clear target." he joked, earning a smirk from the other.

From his chair, the person reached for the mask on the small table between them. He playfully held the mask to the front of his face, imitating the man. "Don't act like you don't want all of those actions, love.", his silliness made the man chuckled, "Well, you are right on that."

"Of course, I am.", he lowered the mask and looked ever so pleased with himself.

The man shook his head and then absentmindedly looked through the window. He glanced up to the cloudy sky with its usual green color, thinking how gloomy spring would be.

Something didn't feel right.

The more he looked at the sky, the more uncomfortable he felt.

"W..Wait, is the sky always that color?", he thought.

He made sure that his eyes were still functioning right, but the sky stayed the same. No matter how he looked at it, it remained green. "What is going on?", he thought.

The man couldn't think of any explanation for the odd weather. He hoped that the other could provide him with one, so he turned to him,

"Did you.."

He paused when he was greeted by the grim face of his mask, instead of that gentle smile. The person had his mask back on his face, holding it up, unmoving. The sight unnerved him.

He chose to ignore the other's playful mood and repeated the question, "Did you notice that the sky is green?", he tried to make it sound less silly, and failing.

No answer. The other just sat there, not moving at all. The man grew uncomfortable rather than impatient.

"It's not funny and now is not the time for this.", the man said sternly, yet still no answer.

The man stood up from his chair and when he did, the mask persisted to stare at his face. He was starting to feel both annoyed and concerned about it.

"Enough, give me that mask.", he said and moved to take the mask away from him.

Before he could reach his hand, he noticed how pale his dark skin was, and when he touched it, he flinched at the cold. "Are you okay? Hey, say something!"

He took away the mask from him. Blue eyes met lifeless green ones. The man dropped the mask and stare in pure shock while taking a step backwards.

"Is something the matter, love?"

The question came from his lips, pale as the rest of him. He stood up from his chair, and as soon as he did, blood poured out of his head.

In a panic, the man took more steps back, but then clumsily hit and tripped on something. He lost his balance and fell back.

He unconsciously shut his eyes and braced himself for the impact. He felt his body was falling, but the ground never came. He peeked behind him, only to see darkness.

He dared himself to look back up, and again there was only darkness.

"This feeling... Have I been here before?", he started to wonder even though his mind hadn't recovered from the panic. His bloodied face and those empty eyes, they reminded him of a place and what horrible things had happened there.

"How can I be so stupid!", he shouted in anger for falling for the cheap illusion.

"Damn it all! I should have seen through this right at the..Oft!"

His rant was cut short when the ground actually existed this time, and his back was fortunate enough to accept its warm welcome. He held back a groan when the back of his head bumped on the hard ground.

"That hurt.", he thought while gently rubbing his throbbing head,

"Just wait, if I find the spirit who is responsible for this I'll..."

His line of thought went to a halt after he realized something was out of place. He tried to feel if the pain remained, and soon a sharp sting confirmed him.

"Pa..Pain? No.. Impossible! This..", he groaned again when the headache came. The stress only made it worse for him.

"Oh dear!", a voice appeared in the darkness, a woman's voice. It sounded not far from the man.

"Oh dear, you poor thing. Bod! Bod! Maker, where is that man?", the voice said, closer now.

The man was at a lost with the strange situation he was currently in. He decided to let things unfold by itself, figuring things out as he waited. He stayed still as the sweet scent got stronger, and then suddenly, he felt something soft and warm on his cheek.

The man was surprised by that. It made him opened his eyes, which he didn't realized were closed the whole time. The sudden brightness made him regretted the action, and immediately closed them back. He blinked a few times to adjust them.

"Oh!" a feminine gasp startled him.

He squinted and saw a woman in her late thirties, she was kneeling right beside him. Then, his sight moved to the things behind the concerned woman. His eyes roamed from one object to another, trying to make sense over his new surroundings.

The woman saw how confused he was, and tried to calm him down. "It's okay. You are safe here. Tell me where does it hurt?", she softly said, and leaned closer.

The man suddenly felt her hands on his back and legs, but he was too late to react, when she lifted him up from the ground in one fluid movement.

The man almost squealed.

"How strong is this woman?!", he thought, and tried to struggle. It was unsettling the way she held him, the size difference between her hand and his arm were unnatural.

Then, it wasn't long before she landed him on a soft surface. "It's alright. You just fell from the bed.", she said and smiled, while sitting on the bed beside him.

The man refused to be out-powered like that, but even so, he couldn't fight her back, when she started to check every part of his body for any bruises. He couldn't release himself from her deathly strength and that was beyond silly. He was a full-grown man, he shouldn't be manhandled by a woman that easily.

"Good. There is no bruise on you." She said in relief, yet didn't realize how her actions had left him laying weakly on the bed.

The man froze, when he saw her hand moved towards him again. He readied himself, but this time, she only ran her fingers through his hair, rubbing his head with care.

"But, I'm sure you can handle one.", she said and continued to comb his hair with her gentle fingers, rubbing the stress away.

The man relaxed to the touch. He didn't rebel against it this time, he wanted to make the woman, or the spirit, to lower her guard. And as soon as she did, he would be free from their illusion.

Although, he couldn't ignore the loving and comforting aura that came from her. She felt like a good spirit. He wanted to lean into the caring hand. "No! I need to stay vigilant. These.. spirits. How can they create such a vivid dream?", he thought.

He definitely wasn't used to the returning senses, all of them to show up all at once were overwhelming. Such Illusion would take an immensely great amount of power to accomplish.

"You must be cold.", the woman stated after she saw his lips trembled.

"You rest, while I get some blankets.", she said, a bit giddy too, and then get up from the bed. The man watched as she walked to the cabinet across him.

As soon as, she turned her back on him, he quickly took the chance to find a way out. He moved to sit up on the bed and tried to claim back his control over the fade.

However, he couldn't get a grip over it.  
It felt like there was no fade to begin with.

He was sure that the illusion should have been broken by now. He couldn't be mistaken, he too was a spirit after all.

The man forced himself to stay calm and decided to try a different approach. His last resort, and that was to find the littlest mistake in their illusion, anything to prove that he was in the fade.

He searched everywhere in the room, from the littlest string on his ridiculous clothes to the crackling flames from the candle, yet he couldn't detect any flaw.

He was starting to feel frustrated by the lack of progress.

"I should have ignored that mage. What have I gotten myself into?" He thought and face palmed himself.

"What..."

He held up his hand. He looked in utter disbelief at his hand. Then he moved his gaze to the rest of his body, his very small body. It was obvious that the body didn't belong to him. This shrunken body was the size of a child, a boy.

The man didn't laugh at the joke,

"What are these spirits playing? Why the need to change my form?"

The questions came, and he knew straight away the answers. He had met with many kind of spirits, new or old, sane or insane. Most of them wanted their illusions to be as real as they could, and thus explained the need for his current form. Some spirits didn't shy away in dragging other bystanders into their delusion, forced them to partake in their play.

He sighed in frustration if he was indeed chosen to be so.

He moved to side of the bed and rested his small feet on the cold wooden floor.

"Just how powerful are they? And why waste it on me? Don't tell me I am just that unlucky.", the man started to swing his little feet around, feeling the sensation as the two collided with each other. Despite everything, he was impressed by their work. He couldn't believe just how detailed everything was, right from its stage to its puppets.

The man leaned forward and tried to reach his toes, but was interrupted by a shadow,

"Why are you up and about?" The woman said, getting his attention.

The man sat up straight when she grabbed both of his feet, and swept them up on the bed single-handedly. He wanted to protest but a warm blanket quickly appeared and covered him. The bed squeaked as the woman sat on it to tuck him in.

The man felt ridiculous and had quite enough of this. He moved to part his lips, intending to tell her to stop, but instead of a full sentence, a sharp sting came out. He instantly held his throat, but couldn't hold back the intruding coughs. He decided that he didn't miss the pain, not one bit.

The woman panicked as the man coughed in agony, "Oh no! How can I forget!", she said, getting up from the bed. "I'll get you a drink. Please, promise me that you will stay in the bed.", her tone was stern this time as she looked at him expectantly. The man gave her a nod and that seemed to satisfy her.

"I'll be back shortly.", she said before walking towards the door, and then out of the room.

The man in a body of a child laid there on the bed for a few seconds, letting the silence sank in. He furrowed his brow, even the silence was different.

It was odd, but he felt the place got lonelier without her.

Dismissing that irrelevant thought, he kicked the blanket away and sat on the bed. After he calmed down his coughs, he did one last attempt to break the illusion, yet the result was the same.

Not one to quit, the man set both of his feet to the floor, and started to push himself up the bed. He wobbled, couldn't keep his balance when he straightened up his body.

He had to hold on to the bed a few times, before he could stand properly. Carefully, he took a few steps forward, and tried to reach the cabinet.

His new clothes and his little feet didn't do much help, it was challenging to move with them. He was feeling very ridiculous.

After he was near enough, he launched both of his arms to the cabinet, and supported himself on it. Finally, he thought, one step closer to be rid of this small body.

He hoped for the best and ran his fingers through the wood of the cabinet, feeling the rough texture and finding, yet again, no flaw. He continued by opening the cabinet, checking the stuff inside.

There were blankets, more odd clothes, and little toys inside a small box. Then, an item got his attention though. He grabbed it from the small box, a mirror.

The man felt hesitant at first, his hand shook a bit while holding that small mirror. He wondered if he was ready for the reflection on the mirror.

"Get a hold of yourself! It's just a mirror!", he said, gathering his courage, and then looked into the mirror.

And he almost dropped it.

There was no man in the reflection.  
He had to turn his head and poked his face a couple of times, before finally accepting that the face really belonged to him. The face of a young boy had matched his little body perfectly.

He couldn't remember exactly how he looked as child, but that boyish face looked so familiar to him. But, they got his blonde hair and blue eyes right.

The man, or boy, poked his cheeks again, feeling how soft they were, how real they felt. Then he touched his silvery blonde hair, ruffling them a bit.

"This is remarkable... Can a spirit possibly go this far?", he thought and was amazed. He never knew how far the fade and its inhabitants could go.

Sighing in defeat, he set the mirror down on the cabinet, "I can't break this illusion. I can't feel the fade.", he looked at the palm of his hand, seeing the details was still spot on, "And everything is… flawless."

He couldn't say the word he wanted, he didn't dare.

It had been, what? Ages? More?

He couldn't believe it, even with this proof. But, his heart couldn't help, but to think it was indeed possible. That he was free.

The sound of the door handle made him jumped. He quickly hold on to the cabinet.

The door swung opened, and the woman had returned with a mug, but she wasn't alone. An older man followed closely behind her, and noticed the boy.

"Well! Look who finally decided to join us." The man chirped.

If not for the older man, the woman almost got a heart attack, when she saw the empty bed.

"Hold this." She said to the older man, and gave him the mug.

The woman went to the boy, who was still holding on to the cabinet on dear life.

"You promised me not to leave the bed. What are you doing, boy?" She asked, but the boy wouldn't look her in the eyes. The woman saw the opened cabinet and the mirror, but she didn't think badly of the boy. She believed that he was just confused.

"Alright, let's go." She said, and held out her hand to him.

The boy looked at it, and eventually took it.

The woman carefully led him back to the bed and let him sat down.

"Not a second to waste, I see. Ready to get up and to explore the world, eh?" The older man said in a very friendly manner. He offered the boy the mug of water, "Here. Drink up now." He said with a light smile.

The boy studied the older man, and just like the woman, he sensed good in him. He took the mug, holding it carefully so he didn't spill the water in it.

"Stop it, Bod. Don't give the boy any ideas." The woman scolded the older man. Bod scratched his head, and muttered an apology to her.

The boy couldn't help, but stare. The scene was very heartwarming, he felt drawn to it. Their expressions and auras felt so real, different than the illusions he and the other spirits tried to duplicate. It had been so long, and all of them forgot the real thing.

"Drink up." The woman's word made the boy looked at the mug again. He felt his dry throat was begging for the water.

He gulped and thought that this would prove everything, gave him the answer he needed. And so, the boy raised the mug to his lips and drank.

He didn't realize how fast he emptied the mug. He almost cried out at how wonderful the water felt, alas his face revealed enough.

"Better? Give the mug to Bod." The woman said while petting his head.

The boy looked at them in a new light. He looked at everything differently, now. And it was very scary for him. He breathed in and kept his composure, there was no need to lash out on these two good real people.

"I am back in the realm of the living.", The boy thought and decided to process it piece by piece.

"Tough little lad, aren't you? What is your name, boy?" Bod asked, and took the mug.

That question caught the boy off-guard, he didn't know what answer to give them. He was a spirit, he couldn't possibly give him the names which the other dreamers gave to him, no matter how amusing that would be.

Then, he tried to think of another name, a name from a time when he was human. But, dismissed the idea, that name didn't belong to him anymore. He didn't want to use that idiot's name.

"I..", the boy said, but quickly shut his mouth when he heard his own voice, his squeaky little voice. He refused to think more about that, and tried again, "I don't know."

The couple looked at each other, talking through their eyes.

The boy knew he had ruined the moment, he felt bad when the couple looked at him with worry. He wasn't sure why their feelings mattered to him, perhaps he didn't realize that he was starting to like them.

The boy defended that he would need their trust, just so he could know more about this realm, this time. He had no understanding on how this realm worked, everything was consistent and stable. He tried to think back if the world was always like this, but he had no clear memory of it.

"Why do I even need to worry about this?" The boy angrily thought.

A scenario like this shouldn't be possible to begin with. He shouldn't be here, he never wanted this. He was content in the fade, drifting and watching the dreamers with their hopes and dreams. He didn't belong here, the human in him had gone and died.

He hoped that fate, or whoever those Gods were, had a good laugh for watching him suffer.

In the middle of his gloomy contemplation, he felt himself being pulled forward. He was startled when the woman suddenly hugged him. She rub his back in a soothing way, and told him that everything would be alright.

She repeated those words, over and over, making him melt. He didn't know how much he needed that hug. Then suddenly, a flash of memory hit the boy.

He saw a woman, saying similar things to him. It pained the boy's heart, when he felt how much he missed her touch, how he missed these feelings. The boy blinked his watery eyes, letting the tears run down his cheeks.

He slowly looked up when a hand patted his head. He saw a warm grin from the older man, telling him the same thing. The two humans gave him back the warmth and love he had forgotten.

The boy smiled, and thought that it wouldn't hurt to enjoy this for a while.

It wouldn't hurt, he repeated in his mind.

 **0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0**

"Have some more.", Bod said as he put another bread on the boy's plate.

He had never seen a child consumed a bread as quick as the boy. He was impressed, but also pitied him. He thought that the boy must have been starving.

"Make sure you chew your food." The woman said as she approached the dining table with a pitcher of water. She refilled their mugs, and then set the pitcher on the table.

She was delighted that the boy liked the breads, she was worried if she had put too much salt. She didn't know how her breads just blown the boy's mind.

The wonderful taste of food, the boy had forgotten one of the greatest thing in being alive. More than once, he almost choked on his meal. He was too obsessed with the bread that he had forgotten of his table manners. He sighed in content, after he drank from the mug.

Now that his plate was empty, and his belly was more than full. The boy finally became aware of his surroundings and felt embarrassed.

The couple only gave him another loving smile and this time, he returned it.

The woman thought of how cute the boy was, and wanted nothing but to pinch his cheeks. While the older man laughed and approved of the boy's healthy appetite.

"Their spirits are kind. I shouldn't have taken advantage. I must stop this, before I hurt them." The boy thought.

He had his fun, and now he needed to go back to reality.

"Boy." The word made the boy looked at the older man, Bod. He knew he would be delayed once again. He wanted to roll his eyes towards fate, but refrained himself, when he noticed that the couple had a serious look on their faces.

"Can you remember what happen? Your parents or anything?" Bod nervously asked. They were uncomfortable with the questions. It was a depressing thing to ask to a kid.

The boy pondered hard on the question. The last thing he remembered was that horrible dream, or it could be a vision, he was unsure which. And before that, he remembered he was telling his story to a mage.

He frowned, he should have suspected that bad things were bound to happen, when that mage coincidentally brought back his will to revisit his past. Clearly, he had underestimated him.

"We talked and then he walked away with a blank look on his face. I was concerned and followed him, then suddenly, a light appeared. And that was it.", he recalled the memory in his mind.

The couple watched as the boy turned quiet and had a troubled look on his face. He was oblivious of how bad he was at hiding it.

"It's alright if you can't remember, love. We are here for you.", the woman said, Mariam her name was. She reached out and held his hand.

"That's right. We are here for you, kid.", Bod grinned, and then an idea struck him. "How about we get you a new name, will you like that?"

The idea excited him greatly, the same could be said for his wife. But it did the opposite for the boy, he was opposed by it.

The boy feared that it would make them be more attached to him. Making things messier for him. However, he couldn't bring himself to deny them, not when they looked so excited and happy by the simple idea. He didn't have it in his heart to crush their spirits.

So the boy nodded in defeat.

And in an instant, Bod and Mariam didn't waste time to think of a name that would suit the boy. They said one name after another, then argued about whose was better, but they never came up with an agreement.

The boy couldn't resist his smile. No spirits could possibly duplicate how he felt right now. The idea of having a family again was very tempting for the boy. It reminded him of another memory, where things were innocent and he had all the love from his parents. He knew that it would be easier and happier for him if he surrendered to this new life.

"How about, Greggory! I like the sound of that." Bod exclaimed and earned a nod of approval from his wife. "That's a good name. What do you think?"

Both of them looked at the boy with sparkling eyes.

It made him nervous.

A laughable thing for a spirit such as himself, to be unnerved by the old couple. To be intimidated by their pure affections for him. He felt very guilty for letting it went this far. He promised, that this would be the last time.

"I like it."

 _To be continued.._

* * *

 **And so, he is reborn to the Dragon Age.**

 **At first I wanted the Crater couple to be his parents,**

 **(Back in DA:O, one of the scenes you encountered when you travel)**

 **(An Easter egg to the S-man, I'm sure)**

 **but uh, that will mess up his timeline too much,**

 **and that also makes him way too young.**

 **Anyway,**

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Until next chap, lovelies!**


	5. Chapter 5 : Am I Free?

**Enjoy, Lovelies!**

* * *

It was a sunny and a bit breezy day in Lothering.

In the earliest dawn, the village was already filled to the brim with life.

The villagers had started their activities by tending to their farms, and when morning came, they had set up their shops in the market, selling all of their goods to either the locals or travelers.

The market was the heart of the village, making it the busiest part of it.

Although on that particular day, one of the most well-loved shops in the market was closed. The other traders missed the smell of their freshly baked breads. The Cohen's bakery had the best baked-goods in the entire village.

Their hope to add breads to their lunch quickly appeared, when one of the Cohen came to the market. But alas, their rumbling stomachs couldn't be satisfied, because he wasn't there to open shop.

Usually, his wife tended to the stand, and she wasn't with him, instead he was with a stranger, a little stranger.

It was inevitable that the little blond boy would draw plenty of attention, especially when most of the folks there knew about the Cohen's tragic past.

In that busy market, Bod was showing the boy around the village, giving him a small tour.

They had went to his field, and after that the Chantry. Now, he was going to introduced him to his friends in the market.

Bod felt sad for the boy. He could see that he was agitated with his surroundings, and sometimes the little guy would look so lost. He had told the boy that he would answer his questions, but he never asked, even when his face showed otherwise.

Now, Bod didn't like to force things on people, but that didn't mean he stopped caring. He tried to lighten up the boy's spirit, any chance he could. Giving him the best time at their tour was one of them.

However, the boy wasn't all gloomy and quiet, it surprised him when they boy could be quite vocal and charming. It took him only a few seconds to get over his shyness, and then won over his friend's hearts. Bod thought that the boy was too well spoken for his age.

Nevertheless, he felt like a proud parent when the praises came.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

The boy's insights about this world didn't prepare him for the real thing. Nothing could ever prepare him for this, he thought.

He gave up on trying to comprehend how the realm worked, it was too consistent, too unchanging. But then, he stepped outside the couple's house, that's where he started to feel afraid. He tried to make use of his old memories about this realm, yet, it did little help. He didn't recognize the world anymore.

The boy was no ordinary human child. Inside all those flesh, there was an ancient spirit existed. A spirit that came from the other side of the Veil, trapped inside a body of a boy. He was sure that he didn't possess anyone, and there was only him inside the body. It was a strange occurrence, although, he was already a unique spirit back in the fade.

He had memories of a life from long ago, where he was a human, back before he was trapped in the fade. The world he had lived before wasn't the same as the world he was in right now. He knew the world was changing, his time as a spirit had given him a peek to those changes.

The boy put a hand on his chest, he could feel that his life as a spirit hadn't left him completely. He felt his spirit reacted strongly to the air around him, to the people nearby, to the animals in the field. He felt like he would float away if he didn't hold on to Bod.

"A child's first step to the unknown", those words fitted him perfectly.

Originally, he wanted a way out of the couple's home, he didn't plan for this walk with Bod. Still, he was thankful that the man was there with him when he lost his grip on the new world.

It had been some time, but the boy started to rely on his human side to guide him through all of this madness, and he was getting better at it. He didn't need to hold on to Bod after they left his field, despite the man's glum look when he left his arm alone.

"Is this how it feel to be alive? I have forgotten about it.", the boy thought, finally admiring the lively village. The changes were beyond him, it would be pointless to compare it to his own. Every direction he looked, there would always something to awe him. The biggest one was at the market, where an innocent scene had him mesmerized. He saw a human, an elf and a dwarf, who were conversing like old friends.

They didn't seem to be bothered by their differences, like there was none to begin with. And the people around them acted like it was a common thing.

The boy knew that the humans had taken a more comfortable position in the new world, and how the elves had lost so much, their power and their frightening magic. He had discovered that from the fade and the dreamers. But, to experience those changes directly was.. Exciting, he admitted. The gods just knew how to distract him with their glittering new world.

Later, the two had decided to take a break on the small bridge in the middle of the village. Bod was leaning on the bridge while the boy sat on it. Bod took out some roasted peanuts that he had bought from the market and offered some to the boy.

The man was glad that the boy's appetite didn't reflect on his quiet mood. Yes, the boy had gone back to his quiet self as soon as they left the market. But Bod was hopeful.

Since the boy had no interest in starting any conversation, Bod took the initiative to come up with a topic. He told the boy some stories about the Village, he had been paying close attention to the boy in their small adventure, and found out that he was most intrigued with the Knight Templars at the Chantry.

"Ser Daniel didn't bother taking off his armor, he dived right into the river and saved that poor lad. I hope you will stay away from there, Greggory." Bod said to the boy. "Yes, sir." the boy replied, but his eyes were stuck elsewhere.

Bod followed his gaze and saw an elven woman, who was sitting beside the stream not far. Bod knew her, Anna her name was. She was another beggar in Lothering with no place to live and no family to turn to.

Mariam often gave her some leftovers from the stand.

"Greggory, in life, we will have to face some difficult times. And some people will have it worse than others." Bod explained while looking at Greggory's face. He saw no changes in his calm expressions. But he noticed that the boy was in a deep thought.

"But, she's an elf." Greggory stated.

Bod didn't think that he would get a reply, especially like so.

"Hard times come to us all, boy. Didn't matter who you are." Bod explained further and then ate his snack. He wanted to let the message sank in, the boy needed a minute to think on it. It was a valuable life lesson.

"Mr. Cohen. How did you find me?" Greggory said out of the blue.

Bod almost choked on his snack and had some trouble before finally swallowing it.

He cleared his throat, "Uhm.."

He didn't know how to explain it without making it sounded very depressing. Children shouldn't have to worry about sad things. But, he couldn't ignore the boy's serious eyes, it made him felt trapped.

"I will be okay. I want to know the truth, Mr. Cohen." Greggory assured the older man that he would be fine with the news.

And there it was again, Bod thought when the little boy looked more mature than his age. It made the older man felt uneasy to try and lie to him.

"Okay, Greggory. This won't be easy for you to hear, so prepare yourself, boy. So, every morning I head out to the forest to get some firewood. I was on my way to my spot when I found you. You were unconscious on the ground, and there was no sign of your family. I tried to search for them, but there was no one. Just you, Greg. I couldn't leave you there in the middle of the forest, so I brought you back to my home." Bod ended the story.

He didn't like telling such a terrible thing to a young child. He expected the boy's miserable expressions, but the boy looked very solemn. Still, Bod didn't want to be pushy when Greggory clearly needed some space, so he let him had a minute to himself.

Greggory expected something like that to happen, something that would give him more questions than answers. He felt a headache was starting to form on his head. He thought that everything was pointless. It had been an utter waste of time, and it was his fault for enjoying this, this illusion to.. Live again.

He wouldn't fool anyone, and decided to end the charade. The older man had outlived his usefulness and he didn't want to add more suffering to the man's kind soul.

"Mr. Cohen, can I have more of this... food?" Greggory pointed at the scattered peanuts' skins.

Bod was a bit surprise, but then guessed that this was the boy's way to cope with the sad news. He couldn't think of anything, but good from the little boy. "Of course, you can, Greg."

He rested his hand on Greggory's shoulder, showing all of his support, "I'll buy some from the market now. You can wait for me here, okay?"

Greggory nodded to the man and felt his hand left his shoulder. He could feel his spirit tried to reach out to his hand, it didn't want him to go.

Bod warned the boy to stay away from strangers before he ran off towards the market.

Greggory got down from the bridge after Bod was far enough. He muttered an apology before he walked away.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

The boy looked at the sky again as he walked. This was his fifth attempt, and the sky remained the same every time.

The boy felt a gentle breeze, blowing his hair to the side. Then, he turned his sights to his surroundings, some villagers were minding their farm, and another villager who was watching over his animals in the field. It was a very peaceful view. It gave the boy a pleasant feeling, a feeling that told him to stay and to be alive again.

That train of thoughts made him paused on his steps, and shortly, he let out small laughter that turned more loud and free. He held his tiny stomach when it started to hurt.

"This is such a sick joke." The boy spat.

He wanted this to be another illusion. He wanted to be back in the fade, where he truly belonged. He wouldn't mind if some spirits were toying with him. He would preferred all of those than this. He had deserved and accepted his fate in that eternal prison. His sins, his failures, he didn't deserve this mercy.

The boy glanced behind him,

he had walked some distance away from the village, away from the couple's house. He knew the humans didn't need to hide themselves anymore, but it didn't mean he could accept their new ways and cultures, their mix of cultures.

"I have no place here. So why?" The boy asked to no one and then continued his journey, not knowing of a destination. He just wanted to get away from the crowd, from anything he couldn't understand.

The fade might be more a prison than a home, but at least there, he was at peace. At least there, he could understand how things work.

Suddenly, it hit him, like a huge wave to the face. He felt stupid for not realizing it sooner.

"I am not in the fade." He thought repeatedly.

He realized that he was too harsh on his fate. There were plenty of new possibilities starting to open up for him. One of them, the most important one, was a way to be finally be free from his curse, his prison.

"I can end this. I can finally end this!"

The boy apologized for his negativities and thanked fate for the gift. He would forget all of their bad histories together, and even their blatant attempt in giving him a taste for being alive and having a family again.

As the thought appeared, he felt a sharp guilt when he remembered the old couple. He refused to think of their reactions, if they knew what he wanted to do to this little body.

He had sensed their desperation for having a child, and the boy must had been a miracle for them. He wasn't happy with this, but he had waited more than one lifetime for this freedom. He couldn't pass it now, not even for their love.

Therefore, the boy's mind was set.

He thought on a way to go, which was a bit tricky since he was a child, and the Village didn't seem to have spare weapons lying around. Most of the villagers were unarmed, saved for the Templars that Bod mentioned. "Bod!" He thought when he remembered his stories about the Templar and the river.

He decided that it would make a perfect accident, and he was already going to the right path. It was a sign, he was sure of it.

The boy finally had a destination to go to. He wouldn't stop, until he was with them again. He swore it to himself.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

"Stop it please!"

The boy questioned fate if the delays were truly necessary. He had shown them his sincere appreciation for the gift. They didn't need to prolong his stay in this world.

The boy looked at the small hill not far from him, beyond that laid his freedom. But, curse his damned conscience for not letting this one go. He tried to ignore that plea for help and slowly felt his restrain weakened. The boy groaned weakly, before he finally gave up, and headed toward the commotion.

He hid behind a tree, and peek at the scene before him.

He found out what had disturbed his quest to freedom, and they were children, two boys and a girl. To the boy's luck, the girl was the one in distress, and she was an elf.

He felt his luck took a plunge there.

The girl was sitting on the muddy ground, and dirtied her blue dress. It wasn't her intention to sit there, but the two bigger boys had pushed her down.

The two boys laughed as they waved around the doll in their possession, the girl's obviously. She quickly stood back up and tried to get the doll back, but the tallest of the boys held it up, out of her reach. "Stop it! Give her back!" She cried.

Her efforts only made them laugh. "Ew. Dirty knife ears!", the tall boy insulted her and waved the doll around.

This change was the hardest one for the boy. He had witnessed it again and again, but the elves part in the new world was still difficult for him to grasp.

When he heard a thud sound, the boy looked back to the three children. The girl had fallen again and was starting to cry.

The boy felt his temper rose, when they started to kick mud at her. "Hey! Stop that!", The boy shouted, ignoring his squeaky voice. He really hated his new voice.

The two boys stepped back, when the blond stood in front of the girl. "That is no way to treat a lady. Give her doll back." The boy said sternly.

He had a quick reminder of how little intimidation he had, when the boys looked at each other and started to laugh at him. The boy kept a straight face, no matter how insulted he felt.

"Great, momma's boy and a knife ear!" the tall one mocked in between laughs. The shorter one, the sidekick, pointed at the boy, "Yeah, momma's boy!"

The boy rolled his eyes and reminded himself that these were children. He didn't have to get so worked up over them. "Oh, you are afraid to face someone your own size?" the boy said and looked rather bored.

The short one silenced his laughter and looked at the boy with disbelief. The tall one frowned, certainly disliked Greg's attitude, "Are you dumb? Go back home, you thumb-sucking crybaby!"

The boy raised an eyebrow over the insult. He wondered if children in this world could be any less pathetic. He remembered when he was at their age, he already had a family to feed. They needed a proper discipline, so they could grow up into a capable warrior.

"Wait.." He halted that thought and wondered how did his mind got there. He shouldn't care about that, he should care on ending this swiftly.

"No. It won't be me going home. It will be you actually.", the boy said and glared coldly at them. He cut them off, when they had something to say about that, "I'll give you two choices, go home now or go home crying. Your choice."

The tall one stared at him suspiciously after that threat, he suddenly felt chills in his spine from looking at the boy's cold eyes. But, he wasn't one to back down, so he confronted the blond until they were head to head.

He looked down at the small fry, trying to see through his bluff, but he couldn't find any fear or hesitation in those sharp blue eyes.

"You got guts, kid. Dumb, but brave.", the tall one stated, and shoved the doll to the boy's chest. The boy grabbed it and tried not to flinch over the push or rather the indirect punch.

"You're lucky. Today, I don't feel like punching a crybaby. But, you better watch it next time.", he smirked and did one last push, when he released the doll completely.

"I'll be seeing you soon, momma's boy.", he said, and turned to leave with the other. The boy saw them sniggered with each other, before ignoring them completely.

The boy looked at the doll, and tried to clean off the mud on it. He then turned to the girl who was still sitting on the ground. She had a different look on her face now. She wasn't crying anymore, instead, she looked at the boy with full admiration.

"Can you stand?", he said while extending a hand to help her.

She nodded shyly and took his hand.

The boy saw her bruised ankles and the little cuts on her elbows, some of them looked old. He couldn't help but feel concern over her.

"Here's your doll.", he handed the rabbit doll to her, which she hesitantly took. She wiped away her remaining tears and snot with her cleaner elbow before saying thank you to him.

The boy thought that she was a cute kid.

"You're welcome. Goodbye." He simply said, without giving the girl any chance to respond back. He had to focus back on his original destination, and hoped that was the last detour.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Finally, the boy said in relief.

He nodded in approval at how deep the center was, deep enough to swallow his small body.

He walked to the riverbank, and soon, he felt the cold water that started to seep into his boots. He knew it wouldn't be that easy, because he was reminded again about the old couple. He wondered if they had bought the clothes for him, or perhaps they already had some children's clothes lying around. But then, he remembered the stuff inside their cabinet, it showed him that they used to have children in the house.

He shook away the thought, and hoped for the couple's happiness. He was sure that they wouldn't get it from him.

The boy walked forward until the water reached his neck.

Death had never felt so refreshing to him. He closed his eyes, and launched himself to the river. He kept them closed as his body sank down. "I'll miss those two. They will make great parents."

The boy believed it, and he also believed that his time had finally come to an end. He thanked the gods or ancestors or whoever that had granted him this great gift.

"I will join you soo-.."

He heard a big splash, or so he thought.

He commanded himself to ignore whatever it was, told himself that it was his imagination. He tried to keep his eyes closed, but the sound of thrashing and splashing kept on going. He couldn't keep up the act when he felt an aura of terror.

So, he took a quick peek and, "Damn-!", he yelled, but quickly shut his mouth, and swam toward the drowning figure above him. He got a good hold on them, and pulled them both up to the surface. The two gasped for air, and the boy took them both to the riverbank.

They crawled until they reached land, and laid there on the muddy shallow waters, catching their breaths. "Dear ancestors.." The boy gasped, his rage was catching up on him. "Curse them all.", he slammed his fist to the shallow water.

He looked to the one that dared to deny him of his death, but immediately rendered speechless when he saw who it was.

He snorted, "Right. Of course!" He madly thought.

The girl was still catching her breath, before she saw the boy's deadly frown.

"What are you thinking?! You could have drowned!" The boy yelled at her, taking out some of his anger towards her too. She looked hurt by his words, but still replied,

"I.. *cough* you swim.. And.. And.. I'm sorry!", and now she was crying.

The boy pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed in defeat. "Just skin me alive now." He thought, very tired of their joke.

He wished that whoever was playing with his life, to have a throat, so he could slice them out, multiple times. It was absurd, that they would go so far to send a little girl to intervene him. He was seeing an obnoxious pattern now.

"They won't let me go, huh?" The boy though, feeling so stupid for even hoping.

He looked at the girl who was crying in silence, trying hard on holding her sobbings. She was younger than him, tinier than he was, but that didn't stop her from jumping into the river to save him.

He shook his head and then pushed himself up. The girl instantly avoided his face as he came closer. He felt bad, but even worse when he noticed her shivering.

"You're going to get sick. Come on, I'll walk you home. Do you know the way?" He gently said to the girl.

She looked at him a bit and gave a small nod. The boy extended his hand, and offered to help her up again. The girl looked downward, but accepted his hand.

"I'm sorry." The girl whispered after she stood up, her eyes still stuck to the ground.

The boy smiled a bit. She was an annoying nuisance to his freedom, but beyond that, she was a sweet kid. He noticed that her doll wasn't with her, but on the ground behind them.

He ran to grab the doll and went back to her.

The girl watched as he did, a bit scared if he got angry again. But the boy showed no such thing. He gave her a light smile as he offered her the doll.

"Come on, let's get you some dry clothes. Where is your home again?" the boy said.

The girl took the doll, and started to lead the way to her home, a bit more cheerful than ever before.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Drops of water fell to the dry path as the two children walked.

The boy had lost one of his boots, while the girl was trying to get warm by hugging her doll, but it did nothing, especially when the wind wasn't feeling so merciful with them.

The boy followed closely behind her, and had to withstand the guilt whenever the girl shivered or sneezed. He would lend her his clothes, if they weren't soaking wet.

"Why did those boys bother you?" He asked, trying to distract the girl from the cold. It was the least he could do since the girl had risked her life for him, even if it was not needed. Nevertheless, he felt responsible for her now. The girl was probably traumatized, because of him.

"I don't know. Mommy says bad people always come.", she said, but didn't look at him as they walked along the path.

The way she told him that, it was like she was used to it.

"Mommy says, the Maker will punish the bad people, and give good people cake!" She exclaimed and grinned to him.

The boy couldn't help but be impressed by the girl's patience, and also sympathized that such a sweet thing like her had to endure a life like that. He looked at her bruises again, and felt more pain in his chest. He saw new bruises started to form, the ones he caused.

"Do you hate me?" the girl asked, peeking from her shoulder. The boy had turned his gaze away as she did.

He didn't know what triggered that question, but then he realized of how poorly he had treated her at the river. "No." he said, truthfully.

She didn't deserve to be hated. She was a good kid. He regretted that he had let out his frustrations on her. She probably didn't have any idea that she was being used by a jerk God.

The girl slowed her pace to walk beside the boy. She looked up to him with a pair of big brown eyes. "Really?" She asked again.

Those adorable eyes did their purpose. He wanted nothing, but to protect her from the cruel world. "Yes. I'm sorry for yelling at you. I know that you were just trying to help me. Thank you."

The girl giggled and hugged her doll a bit tighter, "It's okay! Friend helps friend." She said happily.

"Sure." The boy confirmed and couldn't wipe off the smile on his face. He couldn't resist the girl's cheerful aura, his spirit loved her joy.

"Oh! My name is Fara. What's yours?" she asked, skipping along the path beside him.

That simple question took the boy a little longer to answer. He was against the name and would prefer on using them less or not at all. However, he didn't feel that way anymore.

"Greggory." He said.

The girl giggled and did a twirl as she claimed that he was her new best friend. He chuckled and felt himself drawn to the girl's innocence.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

The two finally arrived in the village. It was expected when the villagers began to look their way.

Their clothes had dried a bit, along with the mud that was stuck in their clothes. The attention didn't bothered the girl, she was busy humming a song.

The boy didn't like the idea that the villagers knew the girl, but never help her. That reminded him of his old life, he hoped that he was wrong.

The boy then noticed that the road was beginning to look familiar. Soon, he realized that they were heading towards the couple's house.

"Mommy!" she shouted and began to run to the elven woman in front of the couple's house, with them beside her.

Mariam saw the boy, her face was wet with tears and she looked exhausted. She ran to him with Bod behind her, he too was worse for wear.

The boy froze in the spot, his mind was conflicted on what to do with himself. The boy couldn't believe how much he had affected the couple.

He felt so ashamed. He was ready for their anger.

But, his spirit didn't felt that rage, instead he felt happiness, sadness, and a big relief. Then, the embrace came. The woman hugged him ever so tightly, and began to weep in his small shoulder. He was even more lost, when Bod hugged them both.

They were so relief that he was alright. They had been searching for him everywhere. Bod kept on apologizing to him for making him wait, he regretted for leaving the boy, and promised him that he wouldn't do it again.

Their guilt broke his heart. The boy didn't want them to blame themselves for his selfish desires. It wasn't their fault, and they shouldn't be apologizing to him. He knew that he would end up hurting them, but he had never imagined to cause this much damage, and how much he was affected by it.

He was unprepared for the feeling of being wanted, to be hold so lovingly, so dearly.

"I'm sorry" The boy said.

Bod released the hug and patted the boy's head. He told him that it was not his fault. He stopped the boy from correcting him, and said that he was like a son to them. He had been a poor parent to make him wait so long.

"I am just so glad you are okay, son." He still tried to smile even with those puffy and tired eyes.

Mariam cleaned the boy's face from the dirt, and then kissed his forehead. "Please, promise me you won't do this again. Promise me that you'll come straight home if this happens again." She said and looked at him in the eye.

The boy nodded and promised to her.

"You won't break this one, right?" She asked again and made the boy remembered the funny memory. He smiled and promised to her again.

She kissed him again before releasing the hug.

"Mister Cohen, Greggory is not bad. He help Fara from bad people!" Fara said while dragging her mom along. She looks at her mom, "It's true!" She said to her mom, hoping she would support her claim.

Bod sniffed and grinned at little Fara, "Is that right? Well, cute sweet Fara never lies, Mariam." Fara nodded excitedly. Bod laughed and told her that Greggory wasn't in trouble, and that made her very happy.

"Let's change your clothes, before you get a cold. And after that, all of us can have dinner together, I baked pie today. Dana, you have to join us." Mariam said to the elven woman.

She looked pleased by the invitation, "Thank you very much, Mariam. I will bring some soup.", she said and then squatted down to Greggory, "And thank you Greggory for helping my Fara."

The boy nodded as a reply and watched as they walked toward the house next to them. Fara didn't forget to wave at him and shouted that she would see him soon. The boy thought it was beyond adorable.

"Alright, a good bath for you. Come on. Oh and wipe your feet before entering." Mariam said and walked to the house.

"Oh come on, dear. Don't be so hard on the boy." Bod winked at Greggory before following her.

"How you boys always attract dirt is beyond me." She stated, rather concerned if it was accurate.

"That's how boys become men, dear." Bod's theory made Mariam sighed.

The boy watched them and then looked at the evening sky.

He felt at ease. He felt rather content, if he was honest with himself.

He knew that he was falling into another trap, into another prison. It's not hard to figure that out. Yet in this new prison, he knew that he didn't need to struggle or to fight into an acceptance. No, he felt that this prison could be home.

All of his efforts in escaping had backfired, and ended up hurting others. He knew that he could always go through with it, but, he also knew how weak he was.

In the end, he couldn't destroy them like that, not for his own gain.

Another lost memory came to him, twas a child's memory with his parents. It made the boy felt sad to see how happy that child was.

"Greggory!"

The boy heard his new name was called, and looked to see his new parents were waiting for him. He didn't know who said his name first, but it didn't stop him from running to them.

For a few seconds, the boy saw a flash of memory where he was at another place, running towards a different parent. He was smiling in both of them.

The memory ended as soon as he blinked, and saw Mariam and Bod.

Greggory decided that he would play this game again, and he would bring them happiness. For as long as the obnoxious God let him had this new prison.

His new life.

 _To be Continued..._

* * *

 **Thank you for the view, follow, favorite and review!**

 **It made my day brighter! And I hope you do too!**

 **Til next chap, lovelies!**


	6. Chapter 6 : His Life

**Greggory's life gonna be divided in some parts here,**

 **Gonna be some gaps, but don't** **worry, there's always next chap to piece them all together.**

 **Oh and also, in the next chapter we're going to be entering DA:I**

 **I hope you will enjoy, lovelies!**

* * *

"Spirit!"

The man in the brown robe called out, he was disregarding the Circle's every warning about the danger in venturing the fade so brazenly.

He looked up to the peculiar spirit, who was sitting up on a big tree, or the fade's version of a tree. The spirit stopped writing on the parchment in its claws, it didn't expect a visitor.

The mage gulped, when that terrifying mask glared down at him. He hoped that he wouldn't regret putting so much faith into stories. He didn't want this to backfire, especially with the cost of his Harrowing and life.

The Mage watched in awe as the spirit controlled the tree to take it down with much grace. He took a step back while the spirit towered over him, the antlers on its mask only made it looked bigger.

The descriptions from the stories had matched the spirit perfectly, so he was feeling a bit bold. They spoke of a spirit that resembled a warrior, wearing a mask from a much primal times. It had aided many apprentices in completing their Harrowing. Even some senior mages confirmed its mysterious existence.

However, the mage didn't need its help or intended to find it here. It was a coincidence, he thought. He didn't expect the path to take him to it, instead of the demon he should be facing.

"Your courage will endanger you, mortal.", the spirit said, its voice met the mage's expectation, haunting and truly intimidating.

He was both fascinated and nervous, yet also optimistic, "Courage will bring remarkable findings too, spirit.", he countered.

The spirit sounded like he was smirking behind that mask, "Then tell me, what is it do you seek from me, mortal?"

The mage studied the spirit, it sounded neutral and unreadable so far, but he hadn't abandoned the possibility that it could turn demonic on him. He would be foolish not to. He was aware that he was playing a dangerous game.

"Wisdom, nothing more, spirit. I have heard that you like to help my fellow mages? Or am I mistaken?" He couldn't be less subtle about his blatant motives to study the spirit. Obviously, the timing was bad, but he couldn't waste the chance, not when the spirit was right in front of him.

The Mage had always been interested in the subject and loved to discover new information about the fade and its denizens.

"Yes." The spirit said, then hunched down a little. Its mask was coming closer to the mage's face. He was surprised and definitely scared beyond belief, but he held his ground and stared back at those glowing eyes.

"You have a strong connection with this realm, mage. A trait you are born with, I see. Be mindful of it." It said and eased his invasion of the mage's private space.

The spirit's words was puzzling and added more questions for him. He hoped the spirit would clarify, but alas, like any other dwellers of the realm, it loved its riddles.

"You help because they have a strong connection to the fade?" he guessed, but that just sounded silly.

"You have a task to concentrate on, mage. And it's obvious you do not need my wisdom to overcome it." The spirit simply said before turning around to go back to its tree.

"Stick close to your good will. Do not let their whispers corrupt it like they did with those who lusted for power."

Then, the mage felt his suspicions in the spirit ebbed away and was replaced by a sudden strength, the spirit's gift to aid him, the mage suspected.

Never in his life had he met such a curious spirit like it, "It's Rhys. And thanks for the advice."

He could faintly saw the small nod from the spirit before the tree parted them. He got a good feeling about it. It had a kind nature, even though its rough exterior hinted otherwise. Rhys was inspired and excited over the mysteries in the ever-changing realm.

He felt impatient to be done with his Harrowing, so he could go back to the library and gathered more references about the spirit.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

"I see we are joined by some new faces today. So, let me tell you this, the Harrowing is the most important part of your duties!"

The young teen blinked after the Knight Commander's words had pulled him back to the present. Greggory scolded himself for letting his mind got distracted. He should focus on the Harrowing and not on that dream. But, how could it not bother him, when he shouldn't be having dreams in the first place.

Greggory Cohen was a newly appointed Templar to the order, here to observe his first Harrowing, along with the other new Templars. But, unbeknown to the world, he was not entirely human.

It might be hard to believe that the young man, who had surpassed many of the people's expectations, was not human. It had nothing to do with his background or lineage, although he wished it were that simple.

The truth of the matter was that he was also a spirit. Once, he was a warrior from another time, then he was a spirit in the fade, and finally he received a chance to have a new life. It was a chance that was forced upon him.

He received a physical body to grew up with, and retained his life beyond the Veil whenever his body slumbered. He knew his spirit side hadn't abandoned him, even after he got this new life, but he didn't predict to return to the fade in such a way.

In the fade, being a spirit felt different than before, something was missing. His influence over the realm wasn't as strong as he remembered, and he no longer had the control over his stay there. As soon as his mortal vessel woke up, he was forced to return as Greggory Cohen.

Indeed, it was complicated. He gave up on finding any answers years ago.

Still, that dream had caught him off guard.

It was short, but enough to agitate him throughout the night.

It felt like he was truly there. He was back in his old days as a the hunter to the clan. He remembered that he was hunting alone in the wilderness, when suddenly, the trees around him started to close in on him, surrounded him in a small circle. He tried to free himself, while carvings in elvish started to appear on the trees.

"Save us." It said repeatedly until there was no space left on those dying lumber.

The next thing he knew, the trees had cracked and then burst into flames. He woke up after the fire had reached out to swallow him.

It was such a weird dream, Greggory didn't know what to make of it. This was his second dream, since he stepped into this mortal life back in Ferelden. Both of them were equally unpleasant.

With some uncertainty, he could only blamed himself for becoming more human as the cause for that dream. It was the only answer he could think of at the moment.

"Why can't it be a meadow of wildflowers for once?"

His troubled thoughts were cut short by the Knight Commander's booming speech. "Many have underestimated this test. You might belittle those apprentices, nothing you couldn't handle before. That is where you are wrong. That is how you bring death to us all. Behind that door, are people who do not understand the true danger of the power within their fingertips. They will say 'harmless' and 'under control', but know this, Templars, I have seen the best of them fell into the temptation. You cannot imagine the destruction they have caused in a matter of seconds. No, you can't." The Commander stopped there and glared at the recruits. He was satisfied to see some of them squirmed.

"Remember this well, Templars. As soon as they switch sides, friends and families, none of those mean anything to the demons. And we are here to prevent that, because we are their guardians, their watchers. We are to guide and to prevent them from causing harm to themselves and others." Ser Knight Commander Eron said and successfully made the whole place even more intense.

Some of the seniors tried to hide their amusement over the sight of the poor rookies. They joked that the Commander's grim speech was a bit nostalgic. They eased their snickerings, when one of them cleared her throat, signaling them to shut up and to show some respect.

"In the Harrowing, these apprentices will embark on their test of self control over that temptation. All of them were selected for their good performances in their apprentice's years. Does that mean we can let ourselves relax? Absolutely not. As long as magic is in their veins, they will never escape those demons. Anticipate the worse and do not falter in your strike, Templars. Show them no mercy, for those demons will not show us any."

Greggory knew too well, that the mages would never be free from his kind. Many of them had worked just as hard and sacrificed plenty to fight off those demons. They remained strong in spite of the fear that the other mages had created. Sadly, the fear and hatred proved to be too much for some of them in the end.

"Being buddy-buddy with them didn't look too good now, eh golden boy? Don't worry, I'll let you have the honor to make the first strike." Greggory heard the Templar beside him said that.

Septom was never shy to speak up his mind. And clearly, the older Templar disliked him, but not for the usual reasons, such as his age that seemed to annoy some people. It was because of how much he tolerated the mages.

"I appreciate your concerns, brother. I hope our friends will pass the Harrowing. I believe they will give it their best." He lightly said, but Septom didn't take it wholeheartedly. He loathed the idea to have anything pleasant with the mages.

"Those demons are not my friends. Never." He snapped and looked at the teen, challenging him to repeat his words. Greggory felt the piercing hate from his aura, without the need to look at him. He was not interested in starting anything with the older Templar, especially in the middle of the Harrowing.

"My mistake then." Greggory shrugged.

Septom didn't like how casually he disregard him. He wanted to clear things up with the teen, but refrained himself when the seniors looked to their way.

The teen didn't take his harsh words to the heart. He sympathized with him, it wasn't his real intention to hurt him. Septom was trying to make him realize of how dangerous the mages were. That Greg was putting himself in harm's way for being too friendly with them. He could sense it in his aura, he wanted to protect, in his own strange ways.

There were other people, who had similar opinions as Septom, and he could understand why. He had lived in a world, where magic ruled. He had witnessed the true potential of magic and the evil that came with it. It distraught him, that some of its evil persisted to this new age.

He knew that magic would always be a part of this world, that could never change. It might not be as whole as it used to because of the Veil.

Like a huge wall that separated the two realms, separating magic to its other half. But, that wall couldn't keep them apart forever. Time and a curious mage were all it needed to destroy that boundaries, and brought back the old glory days, that should stay lost forever.

And there were attempts, many failures and one success.

That success led to a subtle shift in the fade, followed by the increasing fear, despair, sorrow and other worse things in every mortal's dreams. Many spirits were corrupted by the strength of the new emotions. Even good spirits turned obsessed and greedy over the things they used to protect the dreamers from. He had lost many of his spirit friends when it happened.

It was after he gained this new life, that he discovered the Blight. The stories and the scars it created to the world had turned magic into a tool of chaos and death.

Greggory didn't like the stories, they spoke of whispers from the Old Gods, who returned the knowledge of magic back to this world. The same ones, that made a group of magisters to accidently created the Blight. The possible identities of the Old Gods brought displeasure to him.

He wanted this new world to rise above its predecessor, not be devoured again by the same mistakes. That was why he joined the Templar order. The closest place he could get to magic. He was hopeful to spent his new life in keeping the peace.

He admitted, that his connection with the Chevaliers had made the order to overlook his young age, especially when he underwent his vigil and took his vows. It was unlike Gaspard to pass up the chance to show his support for the teen in the public eyes. Everyone knew that he was the Duke's favorite, hence the "Golden boy" nickname he got after.

"Follow your orders and remember your training. Now. Let us pray before we begin." At Ser Knight Commander Eron's words, all of them bowed their heads. Then, the Commander led the prayer.

Greggory could feel the mix of emotions from those around him, fear, bravado, confidence, anxiety and many else. His spirit side was not as powerful as it used to. It continued to weaken as time progressed, and the more human he was.

Maybe, there would be a time, where he would have to say his farewell to the fade. Surprisingly, he wasn't fully against it now.

When Eron ended the prayer, he commanded one of the seniors to summon the first apprentice. Greggory adjusted his weapon, when the more seasoned Templar opened the door, welcoming First Enchanter Edmonde and the apprentice.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

The soothing song slowly faded, after the ritual was completed.

The young teen would never get tired of the Lyrium. Back in the fade, the lyrium wouldn't even whispered the slightest hum. Only after his vigil, that he was introduced to its lovely melody.

He discovered that using it made the connection between his spirit and the fade stronger, thus he had to pretend that he possessed the Templar's abilities at some occasions.

Although, using too much or too often made him feel uncomfortable. He didn't dare to try and to see what happened if he drowned himself in Lyrium, he wasn't that suicidal, not anymore.

When the lyrium faded completely, he felt glad that another apprentice had passed the test. He quirked a smile under his steel visor as the apprentice, now a full mage, was carried out of the chamber. It didn't take her long, as expected from a star student.

So far, five apprentices had come and gone without the need of the Templar's intervention. There were some false alarms, but no demons.

The atmosphere around his fellow brothers had brighten, because of the lack of action. Some even joked that the Commander was trying to scare them with his speech.

Greggory forgave their inexperience, none of them had ever seen how ferocious the spirits could be. He welcomed the optimism, but still reminded them to stay vigilant.

Sadly, his sage advice was finally neglected, when the last apprentice entered the room. Seeing the same pattern, all of them predicted the apprentice's success.

Greg was about to ask them to be serious, before he noticed that the apprentice was looking at him. She gave him a smile, while she approached the pedestal. Her gaze finally left him, when the First Enchanter gave his guidance to her.

Her show of familiarity was unforeseen to Greg. They were not close to begin with. In fact, their first meeting wasn't exactly a pleasant conversation starter. He grimly remembered that night, when he caught the Templar, who was beating her. He defended the apprentice and scared off that Templar. It seemed that the apprentice held onto that memory.

She was not the only one to receive thoughtless violence for having magic. Greg was opposed to it, the Templars supposed to be their guardians. And there was no justice to punish every living being that had magical abilities, that's just ridiculous.

Greg sighed, magic had brought so much fear, that many didn't see them as people anymore, just a time bomb ready to explode. No one deserved to live like that.

First Enchanter Edmonde gave her one last advice, before her mind entered the fade.

The hope for another success quickly changed, when the apprentice took her time in the fade, the longest for today's Harrowing. Deciding that they had waited long enough, Commander Eron announced the apprentice's failure. First Enchanter Edmonde sadly agreed with him, and gave the permission to end today's Harrowing in blood.

The Commander gave out the command, and then one of the senior went to the unconscious apprentice, a knife in hand. The Templar bended down to reach her slim neck. She looked so peaceful in her slumber, unaware of her impending doom.

The Templar took a deep breath, and soon blood poured out to flood the marbled floor.

The next thing they knew, an unexpected blast of cold air threw all of them back. Two seniors received the strongest impact, and were sent flying to the pillars. They were knocked out cold after their heads collided with the hard stone.

All of them struggled to recover, and when they did, the scene that greeted them was far worse than a sprained ankle.

The blood did not belong to the apprentice, it was her executioner's. The Templar laid in his own blood as the apprentice floated in front of him, wide-awake. She stared at them with her red eyes, and then created an unsettling smile on her bloodied face. The sight of her sent chills down to their spine.

Then, the morale quickly took a dive, after they saw the men next to her. Commander Eron and First Enchanter Edmonde were on their knees, trapped under a paralyzing spell. She had overpowered the leading figures of the White Spire, an action she couldn't possibly accomplish without a helping hand.

The Templars braced themselves, when she made a move, a sickening move. Her body started to bloat unnaturally with some extra limbs started to grow out of her, and bended in a way they weren't supposed to.

One of the seniors rallied the remaining Templars, instilling courage back into them. She led them to attack the abomination, but had to draw some distance when she suddenly threw up black liquid to the ground.

The tainted liquid spreaded around her and swallowed the fallen Templar. It continued to expand until the very same Templar emerged from its water as a disfigured abomination, followed closely by some shades.

One of the rookies told them, that he would get help, so he ran towards the exit. He was about to reach the door, when he heard someone shouted his name. He couldn't move his legs, after he looked behind him. A sharp tendril of blood was aiming to pierce him through.

The abomination looked at him with both hunger and excitement. But, she was ultimately denied of her prey, when Greggory slashed the tendril, before it could reach the Templar. Greggory told the shocked Templar to hurry. He nodded and opened the door, only to find another fight was happening outside the chamber.

She laughed at their efforts, and how horrifying that laughter was. Her feminine voice was either replaced or joined by a couple of demonic voices, all speaking in unison.

Greggory felt that there were two other entities inside of her. It would make sense, that they had planned for the whole catastrophe. She had sought out those spirits, before the Harrowing began. A deal must have been made, otherwise, those demons would be fighting over the vessel.

She reached for the Templar by the door with her tendrils, ignoring Greggory. She was displeased, when Greg deflected her tendrils again, and charged towards her. He threw a dagger to her, as he got close.

The abomination gave no reaction, when the dagger was stuck in her stomach, the same dark liquid dripping out of her.

"Puny mortal." They said with those disturbing voices, "You are lucky, that she likes you. Take it as a warning, and stay out of our way."

Greggory scoffed when he identified those spirits. He mistook them for something else at first, when it turned out to be a Rage demon and a Desire demon.

However, with their combined strength, he feared for the others' safety. The rest of the Templars were fighting the demons that she had summoned. Three of the rookies were wounded, and one was crawling away from the battle, keeping himself from leaking.

The fight outside made it impossible for an immediate reinforcement. It didn't look good on them. The demons needed to be stop now for the other's survival, Greg thought.

"Face me, cowards! Do not cower behind a child!" Greg suddenly yelled at the abomination.

Edmonde warned the teen not to anger the demons, while he was struggling to free himself and the Commander from the demons' cage. But, the teen didn't listen, he kept drawing their attention to him. Greggory's insults stirred something in the demons, shattering their balance. He didn't have to wait long, before the rage took over.

"Foolish ungrateful filth! You shall suffer for your insolence!" The demons yelled and summoned more tendrils to the ground below Greg's feet.

Greg swiftly moved away, avoiding the tendrils as they shot out. He then sprinted towards the abomination, but then abruptly changed his direction towards the other Templars.

The abomination was surprised, when he turned his back on them. They snorted at him, mocking the mortal's weakness to care for his comrades.

The demons were so full of themselves, that they were tempted to chase after the Templar. Their vessel moved to lunged at him, attacking him from behind with their long sharp claws. It was an action that the teen had anticipated. The demons took his bait.

They plunged their claws with inhuman strength to the teen's back, but he rolled to the side, and made them missed him by inches. Their claws hit the floor, cracking the marble as they got stuck there.

Greggory took the opportunity to attack. They tried to swat him off with their other hand, but he used his shield to bash them away. The demons screamed as he hacked their thick throat with his sword. Greg forcefully cut right through it, until he had severed their vessel's head.

The headless body staggered, and then fell limp to the ground, breaking every spell that belonged to the demons.

Greggory dropped her head, and started to look for the demons that had lost its vessel. The desire demon didn't escape far from his blade, but there was no sign of the other one. He joined the recently freed Commander, who was helping the others with the remaining demons. They might have the upper hand, but one demon was still on the loose.

With his spirit side, he finally caught a glimpse of it, "There!"

The demon was heading to one of his brothers, "Septom! It is behind you!", Greggory warned him, before the demon could make its move. He thanked the Maker, that Septom was as tough to face in combat as he was in person.

The older Templar avoided its clutches, and gave it a killing blow. The fiery demon was stunned and felt itself drifting away.

"You mortals will never change. You all will end up destroying each other. Observe how one of your own have turned on you. Her desire and wrath for your demise were exquisite." It managed to say and laughed maniacally.

"That's enough out of you." The First Enchanter said, before freezing the demon with his ice spell. Septom took the honor to shatter it to a million pieces, finally ending the nightmare.

"Unbelievable." Eron sighed and sheathed his weapon. He closed his eyes in regret, after he saw the defiled body of what once a good man.

"She is a gentle kind person, Commander. Do not believe their lies." Edmonde stated, he didn't want the demons' lies to make things worse for the mages.

Suddenly, the two of them heard the angry stomps of one of the seniors, the one who had rallied the Templars to battle. Evangeline was ready to let out her fury, "Then how do you explain this? With all due respect, First Enchanter, but she is far from innocent."

"We will discuss this later. There are wounded that needed our attention." Eron cut in and gestured to the unconscious and injured Templars. He expected aid would come soon, since the situation outside the chamber had calmed down too.

The young Templar threw away his helmet, and tried to clean his face from the taint that managed to slip through. He gave up, when he made it worse.

"Is the smell worse than your farm, golden boy?" Oswald joked, he was one of the new Templars. The Orlesian offered a clean handkerchief to the teen, which he gladly accepted.

"A pig farm would smell better than this." He smirked and continued, "I hope the Order gives out one of those scented bath oils. I will need a box of them to get this damn stench off."

Oswald chuckled, while Septom and the remaining new Templars smiled at the silly remark. They appreciated the distraction.

To think that a few minutes ago, all of them were laughing at the ritual. Now, a few of those laughing faces were missing.

When the seniors were occupied, it was the youngest of them who took lead. They started to see him in a new light after his fight with the demons. It was him that kept them grounded in the midst of grief and deaths.

They followed his lead and started to help the wounded, but quickly froze when they discovered that one of them had passed away. His body had given up from the loss of blood. None of them thought that they would lose a brother this early.

Greggory watched as guilt started to fill their hearts, blaming themselves for his passing. He knew too well of the suffocating pain and shattered will.

He wished things could have been different. Then he gazed at the apprentice, whose body was still laying in the center of the chamber. He wished that he knew of her suffering much earlier, and protected her from this fate.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"You got to teach me that move, Greg." The brunet Templar blurted out while cleaning his helmet. The thing was so polished, he could see his own reflection on it. Ser Jonathan knew it couldn't get any cleaner than that, but it was the only thing to keep him busy, while they watched over the camp.

He looked over to the Templar beside him, who was nose deep into his book.

"Sure, Jon. Perhaps in our next sparring session." Ser Greggory said, his eyes never left his book.

Ser Jonathan knew he couldn't be bothered when it came to his books, still it was him or back to cleaning his visor. Thus, he quickly thought of something to talk about with the young Templar, "Hey, Greg. I've been wondering about this, how old are you really?"

From that very question alone, it showed that Jonathan was not a keen bloke. Although, he meant well, his spontaneous unfiltered words would sometimes cause a misunderstanding.

"Old enough to be here." Greggory replied.

Jon felt the stabbing knives on his back. He scolded himself for the stupid things that came out of his mouth, and should have realized that it was a delicate subject. "I don't mean it in a bad way! It's impressive, the things you've done in a young age. Forgive me if I offended you, Greg." Jon confessed and hoped that the other would accept his apology and wouldn't cut ties with him.

Greg closed his book and sighed. The blond knew that Jon wouldn't ridicule him, his aura didn't have such motivation. It was childish of him to get so touchy over it.

"Pardon my outburst, Jon. People tend to underestimate me, when they realize my age. That's why I keep my helmet on. I should have known better that you are not like them." Greggory gave him a small apologetic smile, which Jon quickly returned.

"You got me worried there for a second. Glad you're not cross with me, brother." Jon said and grinned. "I also wanted to make sure that I didn't lose you there. It feels like I'm on my own here, while my brothers abandoned me for fat dreams and a book." He posed as if he was utterly hurt.

Greggory laughed and promised not to abandon him again. Jon sniffed a thank you at that.

The night had been uneventful so far, hence the root of Jonathan's boredom. But, their watch would end soon, a few more hours before dawn. And at the first light, they would continue on their way to fetch a new addition to the Circle.

"I don't know how you can stand those nobles, Greg. I bet they were ruthless, when you arrived with the Grand Duke." Jon said, he wanted to know more about the gossips that surrounded Greg and the Grand Duke. They had been the hottest gossip that month.

The blond then told him about that one party, making Jon looked at him in disbelief. He was so much better than him with the Game, at that age too. Not to mention, that Jon was born into nobility, while Greg was just a farmer's boy, that move to Orlais to become the royal gardener's boy.

"Is there anything you can't do?" Jon asked him, feeling a bit envious of his many talents.

"Well, I am hopeless in the kitchen." Greg said with a smirk.

"Bastard, you can get a wife for that!" Jon declared, and playfully poked him in the shoulder.

Jon told him that he would like to be good at the Game and make his father proud, but he couldn't find his place in that life. He told Greg, that he saw the order as an opportunity to escape that old life. Thankfully, his father was a faithful chantry man, and was the one that put him here. Jon joked that he could always be a Chevalier, if his father wished so.

"I'm glad you didn't. Being a Templar suits you." Greg said, making Jon laughed and accused him for an ulterior motives behind the compliment.

All of the sudden, they heard an annoyed grunt behind them. The two looked at the restless sleeping figure by the tree stump. The man twisted and turned, until he finally gave up on finding some comfort in his sleep.

Septom let out another grumpy grunt as he stood up, and straighten his back with his hands. He didn't like camping, especially in the middle of nowhere. "I need a strong one." He said exasperatedly.

Shortly, he caught two pair of eyes that were creeping on him right from the start. Septom gave them a glare before walking to join them. He slapped the back of Jon's head as he passed the brunet. "Oi! What was that for?!" Jon whined while rubbing his mistreated head.

"Your face got in my nerves, Jon. You got anything to drink here?" Septom said, and ignored Jon's baffled look as he sat beside Greggory.

Septom helped himself with their stock of ale, but not before he noticed the empty bottles next to Greggory. He wasn't used to see him drink, or how he held his liquor better than any them.

"Easy with the ale there, brother. You might hurt yourself." Septom commented.

Greg shrugged, "You worry too much. Did you forget that I have my trusty helmet here?" Greg tapped the helmet near his feet, and made both Septom and Jon looked at him, very confused. Greg continued with a grin, "The worst thing I can do is sing a ballad all over the Spire with nothing but my helmet on, and they still won't know it's me. Ah, life is good."

"Maker, man. I don't need that image in my head." Jon said while holding his laugh.

"Bastard. A more reason to keep you sober then." Septom punched his arm playfully and laughed.

"Hey! Are you people even trying to keep watch anymore? I swear the whole blasted forest can hear you. Quiet down."

The three men turned to the fourth, their last teammate who was still curled up on the ground, trying to return to his dream after the rude awakening.

Oswald was unaware of their scheming minds, before they had appeared behind him. "Wha!" was the only thing he could say when the three Templar abruptly grabbed him by the shoulder and feet. They threw him up in the air.

They caught him as he fell, but immediately launched him back up. Oswald cursed at them to stop, while trying to get a grip on them. After the third launch, they dropped him to the ground, roughly.

Oswald laid there on the ground, still cursing on them.

"Dear me, brother. Did the sisters teach you those words?" Jon tsk'ed, and the other two shook their heads looking very disappointed at Oswald.

"I'll show you what else the sisters have taught me, Jon." Oswald said his name rather dangerously.

All of them had a good laugh after that, and promised to treat Oswald with a drink in the next tavern they passed.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Rushing steps and wheezing breaths came from the mage, who had been running for Maker knew how long. He almost ran over other mages in the hallway, and got yelled by some Templars for causing a disturbance.

After a while, the mage stopped in front of the Spire's library. He thought that he should have gone here first, since the Templar had spent so much time in the library.

The mage marched inside the slightly crowded library, which was a good sign at first, but turned frustrating, because none of them was him.

He couldn't think of any other place he could be right now. His only hope laid with the other Templar, who was stationed here.  
Yet, it was strange to see him here, since this wasn't his usual post.

The mage quickly set aside those thoughts, it didn't matter now.

"There you are!" The mage said to the Templar, but was embarrassed when the librarian shushed him. He gave her an apologetic nod, before he felt a hand on his shoulder.

The Templar, Ser Oswald, was dragging him to a less crowded part of the library. He was sure that Oswald would know where he was, since both of them were close. He remembered that it was them who had brought him to the circle, when he was still a teen.

"Where is he?" The mage asked, but Os didn't answer him.

He gave a tired sighed, "He is..." he said and paused.

"Well?" The mage tried again, impatiently this time.

Unexpectedly, Ser Oswald took off his helmet, giving a clear hint that he hadn't had a good night's sleep for a long time.

The mage noticed the little changes in them, more each time they left the circle. It saddened him, when fear started to appear in their eyes at the sight of magic. Of course, they would deny it if he asked. He was very fortunate that their friendship wasn't affected by it, yet.

However, it was different with Ser Greggory, he didn't have any changes in his eyes. He always treated everyone like he always did, saw them for their deeds, not for what they were. The mage shook away the incoming negative thoughts, no matter what, he trusted that Greggory, Septom, Jon and Os would always make the right decisions.

"We got back last night, Rob. He went off somewhere after we got to the barracks. He wanted to take a breather, but then he never returned." Os said, his usual collected self was nowhere to be found. "We've been searching for him since this morning, Sept and Jon too. I took this post to wait for him. You know how much he likes to spend time here."

The news made Rob to scratch his head. It was unlike Greg to act like that, but then again this wasn't a very good month for him.

"The funeral must have gone badly." Rob said, and saw a slight tremble in Oswald's lips, making him eyed the taller Templar curiously.

"Plenty of people attended, but none of them were his families or anything close. His only family was his mother. And us." Jon tightened his fist, he felt so angry for his brother's loss. "Greggory doesn't deserve this. It's only weeks ago after he received news about the blight. For all the good he has done, he doesn't deserve another tragedy." Os suddenly slammed his fist to the bookshelf behind him.

Os and the others knew that the blond was born in a village at Ferelden. But, it's only after they discovered the doll, he began to tell them more about his life there. They teased him, when he mentioned his childhood friend. He felt so guilty, when he saw the look on his face after the news of his village's destruction reached him.

"You're right, Os. I wished I could have been there for him." Rob regretted that he missed the funeral. "We need to find him. I just can't understand that blasted man, he's always there to help anyone, but when it's his turn to receive the help, he disappears." Rob's annoyance was mixed with sadness.

"That's our golden boy." Os said with a small laugh that faded a bit too soon.

The two immediately made plan to find Septom. Perhaps, he had better luck than any of them. Rob asked if it would be okay to leave his post like so. Os shrugged and assured him that it's going to be fine. He didn't give a damn to be honest, he just wanted to be there for his brother.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

"You are not feeling any better.", his voice sounded a bit reluctant, but he was determined to help the man. However, the man was making it hard with his constant silence.

He had been following the man here, to the catacombs, ever since they got back from the funeral. It wasn't his first visit to the isolated place. When most had already forgotten about the abandoned place, the man somehow knew of it and how to reach it.

The man in the Templar uniform sat on the broken old fountain, while he stood in front of him, waiting for the silent treatment to end.

The man hunched forward and covered his face with his hands, his messy long hair had fallen sloppily on his forehead.

The Templar's helmet was in his possession. He had to run after it, when the man tossed it away on their way here.

"I am feeling better, Cole." The man stubbornly said, even though he sounded devastated. Cole's powers might not work on him, but he didn't need them to tell the obvious.

"You lie." He pointed out in his usual monotonous voice.

"You sounded sure." The Templar chuckled bitterly, and showed his face to the man with the unusual hat. The man's face strengthened Cole's statement.

His eyes were red, and there were still some traces of dried tears on his cheeks. He didn't look like the Templar that he used to know. He never thought that the stoic man could ever make such face. And that made him so troubled, he wanted nothing, but to understand his pain and to help him feel better.

"You are hurting. Because you lost him, your father?" Cole stopped himself when the Templar's eyes turned to him. Yet, he didn't say anything back.

"They are searching for you. They know you are hurting too. I want to help you, but I don't know how, Greggory." Cole continued.

Ser Greggory Cohen was an enigma, and a dear friend to him. At first, Cole was only curious, when he heard of how the mages thought of him. Most mages in the Spire would loath a Templar, but Greg was different. Even Rhys admired the man.

So, Cole did some stalking, and learned that their strong affection for him was not misplaced. He never intended to prolong his stay in the man's life, but the ghost of the Spire couldn't help himself, especially after he discovered that his powers were useless on him.

It had bothered Cole so much that it didn't take long, before he made himself known to the Templar in the Spire's dungeon. His interest towards the Templar had made him disregard Rhys's warnings on approaching any Templars.

Then, he was surprised, that the man had known of him right from the start. He could see and remember Cole, just like Rhys. He would be thrilled, if he wasn't a Templar, who had a duty to exterminate ghosts like Cole.

But again, Greggory did the unexpected and refused to hurt Cole. He didn't even despise him for what he was, and ignored the fact that Cole tried to make him forget (which still didn't work).

The Ghost of the Spire didn't realize of how much his opinions affected him. Cole felt a pleasant feeling, when he offered his friendship.

It was odd, but Cole trusted him. He might be going blind with this, but he believed that Greg wouldn't do anything bad to him. He even trusted his judgement, when Greg asked him to keep their meeting a secret from Rhys.

As time went on, they became close friends. Greggory was always kind to him, and eager to teach Cole about this world. The man even accepted what Cole had done in order to help the people, the bad things too. He was patient with him, he said he believed that Cole could do better next time.

Greggory became an important person for him. Thus, he was happy when Greg wanted to share his secrets with him. It was something he had kept hidden from everyone else, even those who were closest to him.

Cole couldn't believe him at first. That he was a spirit like him. How could he wrap his head around the idea when he looked so human. But, he knew that Greg would never lie to him about something like this. And it was easier to tell a secret like that to another spirit.

And it turned out, he was telling the truth. Cole eventually saw the small signs, how he faked his Templar's abilities, and how the Lyrium affected him. He was definitely not a human, and he wasn't a mage too.

The revelation made Cole wondered if he too was able to become more human like Greggory. Cole looked up to him, and it was expected that he would grow attached to him.

"I can make you forget. I can try it again until it works!" Cole promised. It had never worked before, but that wouldn't stop him.

Greggory was touched by the spirit's devotion. His expressions softened, after hearing Cole's blazing promise. He swept his hair back, and gazed to the blue flames on one of the torches there.

"No, I have to keep this memory, Cole. They are a part of me.", he scowled, "I have forgotten my place in this world. Keeping the peace, the lies I tell myself. I am just following my desires to be alive, to be loved again. I am just another demon, an abomination. My very existence has led them to this misery." Greg lowered his head, wishing he could turn back time and just walked straight to that river, little girls be damn.

"You are wrong." Cole stated loudly, surprising him. "They mourned, blamed themselves not the sickness. A father buried his son, their hopes, their dreams. It isn't right, the mother said as she wept."

Cole then tried to relive the last memory of him, relive his love for Greggory. "So bright, he may rival the very sun herself. A blessing in the wilderness. A second chance that he didn't deserve. His son who is loved by many, Ser Greggory Cohen, Orlais White Lion. The Sun of their life. He felt scared, suddenly, he didn't want to leave him. He wanted to hold him. To tell him how much he loved his son."

Cole felt the memory faded, and saw that Greggory hadn't made a single move. He was about to check on him, before he sobbed.

"Thank you, Cole.", his voice, it ached Cole's very being.

The spirit walked and sat beside him, keeping a close eye on him.

"Keep me company for awhile. I don't think I want to be alone anymore."

The spirit had never felt such urge to curve his lips into a smile. "They are still looking for you." Cole tried again to remind him about the others who genuinely cared for him too.

Greggory wiped his tears, "Let me make myself presentable, first."

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

"Ser Knight Commander Greggory Cohen! Hah!"

Suddenly, he felt the familiar slap on his back as he waited for an old friend and mentor. Seeing that same grin had brought up many memories, Greggory was happy to see him again.

"I have never doubted you for a second, my boy. You have outdone yourself." Grand Duke Gaspard de Chalons praised the newly appointed Knight Commander.

It had been years since he last saw him, he could hardly remember the day when the boy departed for the White Spire, finally becoming a recruit to the Templar order. He was so proud for the boy's accomplishments, Orlais' White Lion.

"If you aren't so stubborn on becoming a Templar, I would have never let you leave the academy, boy. You wasted yourselves in that place, when you could do so much more as a Chevalier." The Duke sighed.

But, Greggory grinned, he missed him and was glad that he hadn't changed one bit. "I would if the Templars had forgotten about me, your grace."

Gaspard laughed and led them through his garden. They talked and made up for lost times. Since things had been heating up between the Mages and the Templars, it was a nice change of pace to relax and to catch up with the Grand Duke. Although, he also kept in mind that the Duke's life hadn't been a smooth sailing these past days, so he picked his words carefully.

Gaspard was astounded when he heard of the young man's heroic actions in saving Divine Justinia V from an assassin. But, his tone suddenly changed when he remembered the other person that he had saved. The one who granted him the title "White Lion".

The Duke almost turned bitter, when he brought up the Empress, but he congratulated him nonetheless.

"It shows how much you have grown. I am certain that your father is very proud of you." Gaspard said and held the Commander's shoulder, "I apologize for not attending the funeral. I promise you, my boy, we will find those who are responsible."

Greg nodded, grateful for his support, "Thank you, your grace. That means a lot to me."

The Duke nodded and patted his shoulder before letting go. He cleared his throat and decided to ask about the rumor that he had been hearing, "I heard that you are going to head out of Orlais. I find it hard to believe, it's clear that you are needed here to keep the peace with the mages." Gaspard said, he dislike that rumor. He had plans, and those plans required the young Templar to be within his reach.

"Yes, it's true. It's a mission from the Lord Seeker and the Divine herself. So, even if I want to, it is impossible to refuse them." Greg shrugged,

The Commander hadn't got much detail about it now, but perhaps tomorrow, they would know more about the mission. He hoped he could return as soon as possible, and to see through the conflicts between the Mages and the Templars.

"Is your mother going to be alright on her own?" The Duke asked in concern. Gaspard wouldn't put it pass his cousin, if she offered the boy his mother's safety. It disgusted him, when she gave his mother her own bakery shop in Val Royeaux. She always envied their close bond ever since he had brought him along to one of his parties.

Then, he suddenly felt just how long that was. He felt old when he remembered that day where one of his Chevalier had brought the boy to his academy. The Chevalier was a friend to the boy's father.  
At that time, the boy and his family had arrived in Halamshiral to become the royal gardeners. Mr. Cohen's side of the family had been serving the royal families as their gardeners for many generations.

Mr. Cohen asked a favor from the Chevalier to train the boy, while he waited for the Templar to recruit him. The boy was brought to the Academy to train. But then, Gaspard found out about that and he was against it. He didn't want the gardener's boy to be in the academy grounds.

The boy confidently told him that he could prove himself, which led to the defeat of his best recruit in a duel. And that was how he took him in as his pupil.

However, he didn't imagine that the boy could influence his life in so many ways, good ways. It was the boy that made the Duke to start enjoying his life again, after he had lost the throne to his cousin, and became the Crown's joke.

The boy had changed him.

Greggory wouldn't know how much he cared for him, and how jealous he was when his cousin started to warm up with him. The boy didn't know how furious he was when his cousin took the opportunity to win the boy over, when he had to leave for a Chevalier's business.

He was certain that she wished to have the boy as her own. And he was sick of her dirty tricks, like when she brought the boy along to one of her classes, even had the nerve to sing a duet with him, although he admitted that the boy could sing and it turned gold as he matured (yes, he had attended one of his chants).

Yet, it's funny that in the end, the boy chose neither of them.

He chose the Templar instead of the power, fame and fortune the two of them would provide him in the snap of their fingers.

"She wanted me to accept this mission." Greg shrugged, speaking about his mother.

"That's a waste. They should have made you a Knight Divine for saving her imperial divine, but instead, they send you off to deal with foreigners' problems." Gaspard sounded his disapproval. He refrained from telling the Commander about his plans for him in Orlais.

Greggory chuckled at the Duke's idea for him to be a Knight Divine, "I hope it was so. Alas, I will depart tomorrow, and I am not sure how long I will be gone. Also, there was another reason why I visited you today. I know that you have been so kind and generous with me. I would not be where I am today without your support. But, I have one request of you...Will you watch over mother while I'm gone? I know this is an odd request, but after father, I just can't stop worrying about her, your grace." Greg begged rather than asked.

Gaspard felt his chest tightened. He had never seen him like this. Even when he was a boy, he always looked so detached from his emotions, and that was one of the boy's quality that made him unique and a talented fighter.

But not today, he saw the boy's walls crumbled down. His father's passing had hurt him more than he let on, Gaspard thought.

"I do not agree with your mission, but of course, I will watch over Mrs. Cohen." Gaspard granted his plea.

"Thank you, your grace. I will find a way to repay all of your kindness." Greggory said as he bowed.

The Duke patted his shoulder, telling him to raise his head, "Take care of yourself, White lion. You have to return if you want to keep your promise." Gaspard said, making Greg's expression turned to worry. Gaspard had always been honest with him about his ambitions for the throne and for the war he had been envision.

"Thread carefully, your highness. Orlais doesn't need more war in her land."

"There will always be a war as long as she sits on that throne, my boy. And I hope you will be fighting by my side when the time comes."

...

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 ***Gasp* Cole!**

 **Thank you for reading, lovelies!**

 **All of you are awesome!**

 **I hope you have a good day!**


	7. Chapter 7 : Therinfal Redoubt

**And so begins DA:I, of sorts...**

 **Enjoy, lovelies.**

* * *

Unbelievable, how did it come to this?

Brothers and sisters turned onto each other for this needless war. The Circle, Templars, and Seekers have left the Chantry. They would go so far as to erase the Circles and declare all mages as apostates. Surely, some of the Commanders or the Seekers could see that war is not the answer.

Or.. Dare I to even think of this, that I am the only Commander that's left who would oppose the idea. It's a horrible thought, but why does it fit so perfectly?

I should have done more, I should have taken the tragedy in Kirkwall more seriously. I should have stayed in the White Spire.

How can I be so blind and not see their deceptions in those missions. Someone had forged those fake letters to send us to our doom. They kept us away from Orlais, completely cut us off from home. Then, somewhere along the way, they changed their order from keeping us distracted to extermination. Perhaps, we were too dangerous to be kept alive, and that resulted in our meeting with those Magisters, who called themselves the Venatories.

We barely escaped them. If it weren't for my other half, those Magisters could have trapped us in the fade for Maker knew how long. Or worse, they would succeed in binding us to demons.

I am starting to suspect that this is more than the Mage's Independence, especially after those Venatories have entered the picture, and are so desperate to control us.

And it's clear, after we learned what happened to the world in our absences. Maker, to come back to this…

Divine Justinia, bless her loving soul. She tried to stop the madness from taking anymore life. The peace-talk would have worked. But instead, she and all of those people, who wanted the war to end, are dead. I wish this is just a lie.

Everyone that wanted and could bring back the peace is dead. And that hole in the sky is a sign of their schemes coming together. I fear for what their end game are.

But, it won't come to that. I swear, they will pay dearly for this, whoever they are. I will not stop until they are wiped out of the face of the world.

I and my brothers.. I don't know what will happen to them if they didn't come along with me. My brothers, my family, Oswald, Septom and Jonathan.

All these years, we have been through a lot together, from good to worst. Our faiths were tested and betrayed. But, we always pulled through, together.

I'm sure they are sick of magic by now, spirits and demons evidently. Our time with the Venatories have scarred them, I can feel it in them.

There is too much sadness now. But, I hope we will have some good news in Therinfal.

Right now, we are heading to Ferelden, towards the old Seeker fortress. Other than the news of the Conclave, we also received word that the newly appointed Lord Seeker Lucius have taken command of the remaining Templars. The Lord Seeker spreads the news far and wide for all Templars to gather at the Fortress, and to prove their loyalty to the order.

For now, the Lord Seeker and the Templars is our best bet to fix all of this. Although, there is also the Inquisition. It's a big relief that both hands of the Divine are safe.

They have come to a decision to bring back the ancient organization, and they have been a bright light amidst the darkness and mayhem. I put good faith in them, and plan to make an audience with their leader, after we sort things out with the Lord Seeker.

I.. I know.. I am trying to avoid thinking about the people we lost. I don't want my emotions to endanger us, I can't afford to make anymore mistakes.

I will mourn, after we bring those who are responsible their justice.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Therinfal Redoubt, the abandoned fortress that was hidden from civilization. Its dusty halls were unusually crowded on that windy day. Templars roamed around its ancient halls, with more of them each passing day. Both Templars and chantry people came from all over Thedas, looking for the Lord Seeker guidance. Or just to find safety from the fighting.

Everything seemed normal in the busy fort. Everyone was minding their own business, Templars attending their duties, scholars studying in the library, and guests taking a walk around the courtyard. It looked much preferable than hunting mages in the forest, that's for sure.

The newly arrived Templars thought so too. A mere glance at them, and everyone knew who they were. Yet, it was a big surprise to see them here of all time and place.

There were four of them, armors looked worn, dented, and had lost its shine ages ago. The leader of the group, Ser Knight Commander Greggory Cohen. And he was accompanied by his fellow brothers Ser Jonathan Morin, Ser Septom Emmanuel Petit, and Ser Oswald Philidor the third.

Heroes to the order and friends to many. They had set a great example for many young Templars, and became a benevolent guardians to the Mages. The people believed that they would keep this war from happening. So, it was obvious that their disappearance made all hell broke loose.

As the four veterans stepped into the courtyard, all eyes were set on them.

Another group of Templars, who had arrived not long before them, gained hope from their presence alone. They were sure, that they could shed some light for them all.

The four Templars got off their mighty horses, and demanded an audience with the Lord Seeker without a second to waste. As they came closer, the others could see the damage in their armors, giving them an idea that wherever they disappeared to in the passed couple of years, it wasn't much of a paradise.

Then, one of the Knight Templar spoke up on the other's behalf, and informed the four of their current state. Since the group arrival, there was no sign of the Seeker. They were ordered to wait here, while their leaders went inside to see the Seeker. And that was hours ago. The Knight Templar shared his discomforts about the whole thing. It's like they were sitting ducks, he said.

Knight Commander Greggory appreciated the information, and asked him if he saw anything strange. The Knight Templar then mentioned, that the Captain wasn't acting like himself. And, he hadn't seen Ser Barris at all. He was stationed here to accompany the Lord Seeker, and he had informed Barris about their arrival days in advance.

He was starting to regret for not being able to accompany their own Captain, when she went with them to the fort. Knight Captain Denam forbid it, when he asked.

Greggory had met Denam once, he was a brash man, but he always did his duties. The other Templar said that Denam was appointed by the Lord Seeker to watch over the guests.

Their discomforts only confirmed the Commander's suspicions. Greggory sensed something off about the place ever since he entered the gate. And the Templars here, some of them were giving him some weird vibes, which he couldn't quite place it or like it.

The Commander told the other Templar to keep alert, when suddenly, Knight Captain Denam showed up from the fort. He marched to them with four Templars behind him.

Denam brightfully welcomed Ser Greggory and his brothers. He claimed that they had been searching for them tirelessly since their disappearance. He told them that big changes came to the order and all of Thedas because of it. He showed his full sympathy for those who weren't lucky enough to be here.

Ser Oswald raised a brow at the Captain, he somewhat disliked his tone. It was subtle, but there was amusement in it, he's sure.

Greggory apologized for their absence, and told him that he needed to see the Lord Seeker. And to their surprise, the Captain didn't refuse their request. He even added that the Lord Seeker had been expecting them, and was glad for their safe return.

The enthusiastic Captain asked them to follow him, claiming that it would be an honor to escort them to the Lord Seeker.

Sir Jonathan whispered of how easy that was. Too easy.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

The old fortress held many pieces of history in its halls. The group would love to slow down and indulged themselves in the structure's architecture. Yet, it was impossible when the foul air kept growing.

As they walk behind the Captain and his templars, Ser Jonathan whispered to them, that he didn't like where this was going. His discomfort was easily accepted by the others.

The Templars inside the fortress looked different than the newly arrived group, something in their eyes were rubbing them the wrong way.

Greg agreed with them, but he refrained on doing anything drastic. But then, they were led downstairs. Obviously, the Dungeon was not a place for the Lord Seeker to be having guests. This didn't fail to agitate them, especially after what their past experiences with the Magisters had taught them.

Greggory halted and called out to the Captain's games, saying that a damn toddler could see through his tricks. Then, Denam laughed, and tried to convince them that he was not playing any games. He insisted that the Seeker was nearby. He implored them to give him some faith.

The feel of corruption suddenly appeared, and hit Greggory. He noticed the Templars were emerging from all sides, surrounding them. The four veterans swiftly armed themselves, and covered each other's backs.

Ser Septom angrily ordered them all to explain themselves. But, that made Denam's laughter grew more sinister, and made them questioned the Captain's sanity.

His brothers couldn't see it, but Greggory saw a new air coming out of the Captain and his Templars, a dark cloud of corruption lingered around them. He suspected that they were hidden from his spirit eyes before, which would need the help of magic. Greggory quickly disliked where this was going.

Denam raised and pointed his sword at them. He applauded their intuitions and hoped it would be sharp enough to make them surrender. He warned them that fighting would only lead to their deaths, which would be best to avoid that.

The Captain's suggestion wasn't ideal, yet their situation didn't give them much of a choice. More than ten Templars had them surrounded, swords in the front and crossbows at the back.

The Captain triumphantly repeated, that they had to surrender. He sarcastically said, that it would tear him up to pull the trigger.

Septom frowned and thanked the Captain for his gracious concerns. He then marvelled at how many people Denam needed to take them down, it was a coward's number, he added.

The Captain smiled over the insult, and waited for the Commander's surrender.

Denam's treachery was unacceptable, yet the insane Captain was right, they wouldn't stand a chance if they fight back. Although, they might survive long enough to wipe that grin off him.

Greggory sighed, he couldn't do that. There was only one course of action, so he dropped his weapon to the ground.

The clunk sound, as it hit the ground, upsetted his brothers. They didn't like it, but they knew when they're cornered. One by one, they dropped their weapons too.

The Commander felt like this scene was familiar, but he dismissed the thought. He promised that he would find a way to turn this around. So, for now, they let the traitors restrained them and beat them down to the ground.

The Captain ordered his men to cease, after he was satisfied.

His smile widen under the helmet as he admired how the four mighty templars were kneeling right in front of his feet. He could get use to all of this power. Then, Denam walked to the leader of the small group, and roughly removed his helmet. Denam held his chin, and told him that the Elder one would award him for this. He claimed that they had been causing a lot of bother for them, but that ended now. They would make a great addition to their unstoppable army. He was ecstatic that everything had gone according to the Elder One's plan.

Greggory looked at him with a flat expression, but his mind was troubled with everything he just said. He couldn't make any sense out of him. He suspected that the Elder One was the mastermind behind all of this.

Denam patted his cheek before releasing him, and then ordered his men to bring them to the dungeon for their treatment. The group grunted in pain, when they were forced to get up from the ground. They didn't quit their struggle, of course, determined on making it hard for them.

As they got a closer look on the Templars, they saw that their eyes were not well, not at all. Their veins were visible, pulsing, and their eyes were glowing red. They looked trapped, caged, and in so much pain.

As the idea of mind control appeared, they quickly thought of blood magic, which wouldn't be surprising if the Venatories were involved. But, to let it infiltrated the order like this? It disturbed them beyond belief. And now, they were really worried of what this treatment truly includes.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

"Stop this, Commander. You have to realize the positive outcomes fron this, for you. The marvelous gifts that the Elder One will generously provides you, if you join his side." He said and tightened the torturing device even more, leaving no breathing room for his victim.

Stripped down to his shirt and under garments, his hands and feet were tightly bound to the device. The Knight Commander closed his eyes as he held back the pain, letting no sound escaped him. He was determined on not giving him the satisfaction.

The torturer saw the defiance, and it was starting to annoy him, "Why fight? Under the Elder One's guide, the Templars will rejoice! And you! You will be his greatest champion! The Templars will bring peace to his holy land, starting by disposing the ones who oppose his visions, the Inquisition for example. Destroy them and the Elder One will bring peace and prosperity to all Thedas.", the magister said in wonder, but never lessen the pain.

Again, Greggory gave him silence, but his mind never stop in trying to find the slightest chance to free himself. There were only the two of them inside the small room, he guessed that the guards were outside.

There were signs that he was not the first one inside this cell. It disgusted him, that they would torture and brainwash his fellow brothers and sisters like this, "Have they no heart?" The Commander thought.

Suddenly, a sharp burning pain interrupted Greggory's line of thought. The Venatori had casted a fire spell that burned his left shoulder. It pleased him that this time, a small cry escaped the Commander.  
He finally got a reaction out of the battle hardened man.

"Impressive, Commander." He grinned and moved closer. Greggory gave the torturer a very deathly glare, but still remained silent.  
"You'd make a beautiful trophy and slave. I'd pay good money for you. Young, beautiful and strong. Perhaps the Elder One will be willing to share?" The Venatori traced a finger on his chest. Despite the repulsive idea, Greg saw the chance and spat on him.

The Venatori backed away, absurdly so, he was not pleased at all. "Brainless muscled monkey. No problem. I will cure you from any misbehaviors, my pet." He said in anger, and went towards the containers in the corner of the room. It was the one place that was roaring with evil and corruption. Greg had been worried if they were included in the procedure.

"I tried to talk things through to you, saving you from this. But you kept on being stubborn!" He opened the small box in his hand, and revealed some red dust.

Lyrium dust, but it was unlike any lyrium he had ever seen. That one had a different song, and clearly full of taint. He wondered if this could be the red lyrium, that was mentioned in one of his reports. The same one that turned Meredith into a statue of it.

"I didn't want it to end this way, my pet. But your moronic righteous self caused this." The Venatori inched closer, and then shoved the dust into Greggory's face, it forcefully entered his nostrils.

"A shame, that you will be another one of his empty walking puppet. But, don't be sad, I will take good care of you." The Venatori laughed sinisterly, and shoved the dust further.

Greggory tried to hold his breath, but ended up coughing as the dust slipped through. He felt the burn inside of him, the sudden pain. He gritted his teeth and clawed on the device as he tried to endure the increasing pain.

The Venatori took a step back, after his victim had inhaled a good amount of the dust. It was a larger dose than he would normally give the others. But, he was happy to see that the effects already showed.

The Commander coughed again, and could feel the demonic lyrium in his veins, spreading fast. Amongst all of the pain, he could feel the fade in him, touching his spirit along with its corruption. He knew this was not the fade he was familiar with. He knew he must resist it. But, it was too powerful, its whispers filled his head.  
Its voices were telling him to accept its help. Its taint had embraced his spirit, promising him a way to be free of the pain. It urged Greggory to welcome the beast and the hunger.

Greggory couldn't focus on anything, the pain was unbearable, the power was overwhelming, the hunger was tempting, and the melody was binding.

He shook his head, trying to free himself from their strings. He was a spirit for Maker sake! He wouldn't be seduced like this! He felt so much rage, he wanted nothing but to get his hands on that obnoxious mage.

"No! How dare you!", the Commander shouted with a voice that didn't belong to him. The chains snapped as he grew taller. The magister looked up and eyed him with awe. He was mesmerized, even when sharp claws were slithering around his neck and..

*CRACK*

As soon as the door opened, the Venatori's body hit the floor.

"Greggory?"

It was hard to focus, when everything was red in his vision. But that voice, he knew that voice.

"No, no, this isn't you.. You have to fight it! You don't want this, you never want this."

Again, he tried to remember whose voice that belonged to. And why did he want to believe them.

"Did I want this?" He asked himself and looked at his hands. But there were nothing like his own, his left hand turned into sharp claws while the other had changed into a blade made out of his own flesh.  
With a horrifying realization, he looked at the rest of his monstrous body.

He couldn't believe it, he thought this part of him was gone forever.

"It will be alright, Greggory."

He wanted to believe that voice, that small figure in his vision. But, the voices in his head were telling him to kill, to devour every last one of the traitors.

"You are no demon, you can fight them! Like you always do, Greggory!"

"Cole.", he whispered, and felt the other's essence, trying to help him. He could see the other spirit after his vision was starting to clear.

Greggory believed what Cole said, he didn't want this, he didn't need them. He was determined that this was not his true self. And so, he reached out to his spirit, fighting off the pain, and gaining back his mind.

The red Lyrium's influences were starting to weaken, then finally he felt his spirit was about to burst as he pushed out his wrath. Cole braced himself, when the fierce being slowly changed its form. A small shockwave appeared, before he had his friend back.

The rogue quickly went to his side, "Are you alright?"

The Commander looked at his hands again before answering. He was glad for the fingers. "Yes, thank you, Cole.", then he chuckled, "I can't believe how much I miss your hat."

...

The Commander apologized that Cole had to see that part of him. He thought that the monster had disappeared from his life. He blamed the red Lyrium to bring back the worst side of him. He could still feel its power in him, he could feel both the fade and the taint.

After he wore his armor and got back his weapons, he turned to Cole. The other spirit looked worried. Alas, Greggory didn't know how to explain what that monster was. So, the Commander avoided talking about it for now, and asked Cole how he found him. The spirit was far away from the Spire now.

"I.." Cole sounded hesitant, "So many things happened, the dark song hurt their leaders. I want to help them, before they hurt the people who listened to them." Cole explained, cryptically "I felt you. I was sure. I ran as fast as I could, before you disappeared again. You can fix this, better than I can, Greggory. I am glad you didn't disappear."

The gentle spirit saw the smile from the man, and also his essence that was lingering around him sloppily. It reminded him that he was never a human to begin with. Cole didn't want him to be corrupted like that again.

"We will stop them." Greg announced, and looked at the red dust on the ground. He asked Cole, if he knew anything about the other victims. And Cole nodded, he told him that they used the red lyrium to control the Templars, it changed them with its taint, made them obey whoever had the control, and the Elder One held that power.

Greggory disliked that, and he could still feel those taint in him. He was still battling the voices, hoping they would go away sooner. His connection to the fade might be stronger because of it, but he would need to be careful with the taint. He couldn't possibly wait until its effect left him, the others didn't have that much time.

The Commander looked at the mage with the broken neck, he was definitely a Venatori. He guessed that they wanted to start off with him, and after he was under their control, they would use him to torture and to turn his own men. These Tevinters loved that classic Villainy things.

As they peeked out of the door, Cole informed him that half of the Templars had marched away from the fortress, leaving it with less security. It seemed that they were in a hurry, but he didn't know why or where they went. Cole only managed to take out the two guards in front of his cell.

"That is good to hear.", Greg said, and used his spirit ability to detect nearby presences, while his spirit was strong, "Let's go.", he said to the rogue after he felt someone.

They moved to the corner of the hall, and saw a guard to the right. The Commander told Cole his plan to take things quick and quiet, they couldn't risk alerting the upper levels. He always had penchant for stealth mission, he couldn't really explain why.

He took note on how pale his skin, "Do you think there is a way to help them?"

"No. The lyrium made them mad in pain. I can't do anything to stop the song, and they refuse to listen to me.", Cole said.

"Damn it." Greg cursed in his mind, and readied his blade.

"They are in constant agony, but the lyrium gave them great strength.", Cole said, before they made their move.

The red Templar were too late to react, when Greg grabbed him from behind, and stabbed him in the back. Greg laid his body down after his muffled voice faded.

The two stood in front of the door, where shoutings came from the other side. Greggory told Cole to attack as soon as the door was opened, "Don't give them any chances."

The Commander swung open the door, and ran inside the room towards the first Venatori he saw. The magister gasped in shocked as a blade emerged from his chest. He wanted to screamed, but coughed out blood instead. Greg took out his sword from him and checked on Cole. The rogue was done with the other magister.

"Commander! Oh thank the Maker..", Greg quickly signalled her to be silent and moved to release her.

"H...Help me.."

He heard another, but more masculine voice, it was from the other captive in the room. Cole had undone his binds, and caught the big fella as he fell limp.

"Those evil men did so many unspeakable things to Ser Hans, tortured him for hours." the sister said in tears, she was about to be next if the Commander hadn't come.

Greg told Cole to go on without him, he would catch up after he helped the sobbing man. Cole then exited the cell, and Greg kneeled down beside the pale man.

He kept mumbling the same words over and over again, "Make it stop. Make it stop."

The Commander gently put a hand on his shoulder, "What is your name, brother?", he asked, giving a calming aura into him.

"Hans. Winston Hans, ser.", the Templar answered weakly, he felt the pain was going away. Hans then tried to make eye contact with the blond. Greggory checked that he had no open wounds, and no corruption.

"Are you good enough to fight, soldier? I need your help to wipe out these vermins from the Fortress. Are you with me Ser Hans?"

His courage was returning to his eyes now. He accepted the Commander's hand, and got up to his feet. The big fella certainly carried his own weight after that, even with those bruises. He gained back his strength from Greggory's words, and unbeknownst to the human, from Greg's essence.

"Yes Ser."

The young Commander told him to get his things, and to catch up with him after. The sister followed Greggory's order for her to stick close with Hans. After that, he headed out of the rooms.

After he took another turn, he saw that the other spirit didn't need his help. Two Templars laid on the ground as he shook of the blood in his daggers. Time had changed the innocent spirit, Greg thought. And that fact worried him.

Cole saw him heading his way, "I think they heard me." he motioned towards the door.

Greggory instructed him to take cover behind him, and then kicked opened the door. Greggory used his shield to protect them from the ice spell, and then charged towards the caster. Cole sprinted to the other magister, who was about to cast a spell to help his friend.

The shadow assassin went unnoticed by him, so Cole made quick work over the distracted magister, while Greg stabbed his friend in the chest.

The Commander quickly recovered and blocked the incoming attack from another Templar, it seemed that the room had better security. The red Templar put all of his inhumane strength to push the Commander down. But, he couldn't win against his boosted strength, the Commander pushed him away, and was silenced completely.

"Commander!"

"We're saved!"

He heard merry cheers. It seemed that this room was larger than the rest. Inside, there were more small iron cells that imprisoned many people. As much as he wanted their hope to flourish, Greg told them to be quiet.

Cole threw the keys he found from one of the Magister to him. And soon, the Templars scurried out of their cages, and were about to shower the Commander with their gratitudes, before he stopped them with an order.  
The Commander ordered them to armed themselves, for they had a long fight ahead of them, "We will take back this fort and send those demons back to hell."

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

"Now!"

Ser Hans barged down the door with the other Templars behind him. They slaughtered every magisters they could find.

They had splitted up into two groups, Cole went with the other group, while Greg went with Hans and the other five Templars. Their faith in their Commander granted them strength, all of them believed that they would soon turn the tides.

"Took you long enough.", the much famed sarcasm had returned, Greg thought as he saw the smirk on the Templar's face. It amazed him, that it hadn't left the older Templar, even with his current condition, the bruises on his chest and hips looked bad.

"You can blame the Venatories for that, Sept." Greggory sighed, and cut loose his binds. Septom hissed out in pain when his feet met the earth, along with the rest of his weight.

"I'm alright, alright." He said and assured the blond that he didn't need help walking. It was both annoying and refreshing to see his stubborn self. It brought some comfort to Greg that they hadn't done the treatment on him.

Septom wore his armor in a hurry, aware that the fight wasn't over, yet.

"What about Os and Jon?" Septom asked as he took back his weapons.

"We'll find them. They wanted to break me first, before going after all of you. So, I hope they are holding on." Greg assured him.

"Well, let's not make those spoiled princes wait." Septom said and was ready to follow the Commander's lead. Then, he discovered the excitements outside his cell. Red Templars and Venatories laid dead around the hall. He praised the small army that his brother had assembled.

"How many left?", Sept asked.

"Enough to take over the Fortress, I hope. Half of the so called Red Templars and Venatories have left the fortress, so we can't let this opportunity be wasted." Greggory said, but then hesitated on telling his ill tempered brother the other crucial information.

"These Red Templars, our brothers and sisters, they are forced to be what they are now. The Venatories use the red lyrium to brainwash them and get them 'under control'. We can save some of the captives, but the Red Templars are beyond our help. They have been exposed to the lyrium for too long, that the lyrium became a part of them." Greg felt defeated as he finished, he wished he could do something to change that. He wanted to save everyone. "All we can do for them now is to end their constant agony under the lyrium's torture."

Greg could feel Septom's anger, "Fucking magic. To hell with them all." He said, and walked ahead to the nearest battle. Greg wanted to stop him, before he hurt himself, but he needed it and they deserved it. So, Greg only quicken his pace to catch up with Septom.

"Please! Have mercy!", the magister pleaded, while holding his broken arm. His pleas was answered with a strong kick to his fractured arm. He was about to scream out the pain, but another kick to his ribs made him gasped out the air in his lungs.

Septom spat on him, before plunging his sword to his heart, "Eat your mercy, demon!"

Septom kicked him again before turning to Greggory, "We should split up, brother. I remember there is a passage, that leads to another part of the dungeon, They took Jon and Os there. I will take some of the men with me, and we will scour that area, sounds good?", Septom suggested, and already picking people to follow through his plans.

"Sounds good. We'll regroup by the stairs." Greggory said.

"Alright. Stay alive, brother." Septom briefly held Greggory's shoulder,

"Watch your back, brother." Greggory replied and held his gaze, before Septom broke it. He then called out the tallest Templar in the group, finally completing his team.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

"That is everyone, Knight Commander." Ser Barris reported.

"Good. We can finally move along with the plan." Greggory said and started to lead them all towards the stairs. He hoped to see Septom and the others there.

"It's quiet in the dungeon. No pain, no agony." Cole words was as invincible as the rest of him for the people, but not the Commander.

"I should have seen through this, Commander. I knew something was wrong when they changed our lyrium." Ser Barris said, he felt guilty over the betrayal. He was too late to see the true colors of his leaders.

"Blaming yourself won't help them, Barris. But, you can make amends, starting with this forsaken place." the Commander suggested, giving the Knight Templar something to think about. Then shortly, both of them heard a gasping sound.

"How are the injured, sister?" Greggory asked, when sister Mirabelle managed to catch up with them, she was almost out of breath. "They're stable, and they insisted on joining the fight, Commander. I worried for them, and also the rest of us after we go upstairs.", The sister was glad when the Commander slowed his pace to walk beside her.

Greg realized that not all of them were used to hold a sword or even strike someone with it. Some of them were priests, scholars, and nobles. They're civilians, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Take the crossbows, and shoot if you can. Otherwise, take anything to arm yourselves. You do not have to fight, but at least, there will be something to defend yourself with."

Sister Mirabelle understood, and promised to pass along the word.

"Greg!"

That joyful tone, the Commander turned to the caller so quick, that it alarmed those around him. They put down their weapons, after they saw it wasn't the enemy.

Right behind them, Ser Jonathan was waving at him with a large group close by. It seemed that Ser Septom had been successful, he even found Ser Oswald. They did a short reunion before going back with the plan to take over the fort.

And because of Oswald's quick wit, they had a new information to share. Os mentioned, that he had to stop Septom from crushing their informant, which Septom grumpily replied that he didn't care and he still died anyway. Os rolled his eyes and continued, one of the Venatories had told them that most of the Red Templars and Venatories had left the fort to regroup with the Elder One.

They intended to attack the Inquisition.

They wanted to add the rebel Mages to their army of puppets. But, the Inquisition denied them that, when the Mages became their ally, and closed the breach. Evidently, the Elder One got irritated by that. He wanted to destroy the Inquisition, and to capture the Herald.

Greggory asked about the Herald, and Ser Barris told them about her. She was an elf and an apostate. She was the only survivor in the Conclave. There was a rumor, that she was Andraste's chosen and possess the power to close the rifts, and then the breach.

"Andraste's chosen? an Elf?" Oswald snorted away the preposterous rumor.

"Indeed. But, she has become a threat to this Elder One." Greg contemplated.

The news created many questions, but he didn't have room for them now. All of them had to focus on their current task. So, the Commander told them that the Inquisition would have to wait, and then discussed their move to take over the Fort.

A few minutes into the plan, he signalled for ser Barris, which the Knight Templar acknowledge, and ordered the Templars to bring forth what they had found. They piled up some containers to the middle, and they were supplies of lyrium, the normal kind.

The Commander wanted the Templars to make good use of them, they would need all of the advantages for this.  
"Have courage, have faith, we will walk out of here as victors. Do not falter your strike. Let us help our brothers and sister by freeing them from their prison."

The people looked up to their leader. Everyone's strength were becoming one.

Only Cole who noticed how Greggory's essence had spreaded and embraced all of them. Even he felt the strength in them. It seemed that the foul lyrium had its good uses after all.

He wondered if there was any side effect to it. He hoped that the Commander would tell him if there was. He frowned at the thought, while watching his back.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

"Attack you useless foo.. ack!" The Captain failed to finish his sentence, when an arrow went through his eye, and then another to the back of his head.

"That's for Emily.", the Templar whispered, and then aimed for his next target.

He and his fellow comrades kept the pressure on the battlefield below them, raining arrows upon the Red Templars. When the alarm finally raised, it was already too late. The attackers had cut down half of their numbers.

"Keep pushing!" The Commander shouted, he was glowing, as he rallied the men. Their spirit risen as they fought alongside him. It felt like they could take on a dragon if need to.

"There! the Great hall!", Ser Barris said to their Commander.

It was the way to the Lord Seeker chamber's, the one person who hadn't given his explanation over this atrocity, especially after they learned that he was in the fort all along.

"Onward! Push them back!"

It became easier, after they finished off the Venatories and their demons. So far, favor was on their side. And proved to remain so, when they breached through the great hall.

Its hall lit up enchantingly as they entered, candles illuminating the empty throne. It wasn't right that the holy monument be surrounded by evil and corruption.

"Lord Seeker!", the Commander called out to the figure on the upper gallery, who was looking down at them, menacingly.

The man of the hour, the Lord Seeker Lucius himself.

"And here you all are.", he declared, "I should've known, that your arrival would cause nothing but trouble. It is my mistake to underestimate you." His expression then turned bitter.

There was something frightening about the seeker, and the Commander knew what it was. He couldn't be wrong, not when his spirit half was still at its strongest.

"Cole. Do you see what I see?" Greggory whispered to the rogue beside him.

After he had became more human, his spirit side became weaker, so he had to rely on Cole to make up for his fading spiritual powers.  
Cole looked to his friend, the only one who acknowledged his presence, "Yes. It is not a man. A fake. It pretends. Poorly at that."

"Shut your mouth!", the Seeker shouted at Cole's remarks.

Its sudden outburst gave itself away. The demon sounded frustrated.

"A demon. A demon of Envy.", Greggory declared, and pointed at the demon that was impersonating the Lord Seeker.

"Brothers! Sisters! The man in front of you is not the man it claimed to be! It is an Envy demon. That demon had taken the role of the Lord Seeker, disguising itself and have been lying to all of us!"

The people couldn't believe what they heard, it was so absurd yet somehow made sense, from the Seeker's betrayal and the existence of the Red Templars.

Barris and those who were betrayed by Denam took the news worst than anyone else. They were very angry at the lying abomination.

The demon suddenly burst in laughter, its evil laugh touched their very bones. Everyone scanned around them in panic, when the demon evaporated into a thick smoke. They searched for it, looked at every direction, in more fear as time passed by.

"Got you!", the demon suddenly appeared right in front of Greggory, and had his claws on him.

"You! Knight Commander, the White Lion himself. I never thought you can be this interesting." It glowered, the two felt that time seemed to slow down on them. The demon's doing, Greg's noticed.

"However, it remains that you are no better prize than what I'm after. But. It wouldn't hurt to try you on, until The Elder One gave her to me."

Greggory could feel that it tried to enter him, to possess him. But it was no use. Another mistake the demon made. As time flowed back, the demon staggered back, baffled.

"Why didn't it work? What is this trickery?!", the demon screeched and found himself surrounded.

"You lost, demon. Templars! Subdue the demon!" he ordered.

"Worthless mortals! Do you actually think you can stop me? I will take your face and let my friends feast on your followers!", it let out a piercing cry, but then felt weaken as the Templars used everything in their might to hold back the thing.

"Archers! Ready your arrows."

"Fire!"

Arrows flew truely to the demon, pierced through its nightmarish body.

Weaken and wounded, the thing fell to the floor, and finally under the Commander's mercy. Yet, it wasn't mercy in its horrific mind, the demon cursed on them all for taking his glory. Taking away his face.

The Commander finally ended the nightmare, as its horrific body slowly turned to ashes.

The people started to cheer. Hugs and laughter were shared as they won this battle. Their eyes gleamed in happiness, and then turned to admiration at the sight of their Commander.

Ser Greggory congratulated all of them, and noted that they had made this win a reality.

"We have won this fight, yet we cannot rest now, my friends. Although, my heart wants us to stay and defend this fortress against reinforcements. But, with little supplies we have, it is wiser to retreat to someplace safe." Greggory said. He pointed out that some of them needed to see a proper healer, and how suicidal it would be to stay with the fortess limited supplies.

"We may have to give her up, but never forget that we stopped that demon from taking another victim. We have brought justice to those who fell for its lies. This is our victory, together!"

The people cheered once more.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

"Plans and letters of our dearest Elder One." Jon declared, as he presented his brothers the Seeker's desk. He discovered his office, when he searched around the place for supplies.

There were maps, spots of where to strike, and a letter that stated quite boldly to retrieve the Herald and to kill anyone who dared to get in the way.

"This anchor? It must have been very important to make them so desperate.", Oswald commented as he rummaged through the letters. But then one letter seemed to distraught him, almost made him drop it, "They… They want to assassinate the Empress?!"

"What? When? How?"

It took them all by surprise. The messages were vague, and there were no signs to identify the assassin. Or to tell when and where it would take place.

Jonathan wasn't one to hold back his panic, "Oh shit. This is very bad."

"We have to send word. All of these are prove enough", Oswald suggested.

Greggory wanted to agree, but the cryptic letters could lead them to suspect others, but the Elder One. It certainly would cause more conflicts between the families.

"But we need to do something, Commander." Barris said, he was tired of letting the enemy to do as they please.

"Of course. We won't let their plan succeed. I won't let them.", Greggory assured them. "But, all of you need to trust me, and do as I say. And no complaints, Jon."

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

"The plan is set then.", Greggory said, after he got on his horse. He then helped Cole get on behind him.

None of his brothers were as giddy as he was with this. All of them were practically pouting over his decisions. Ser Jonathan whined again about how much he dislike this plan. He reminded him that they had to stick together, after what happened in the fade. He pleaded Greggory to reconsider.

Greggory sympathized with Jon, and tried to reason with him. They had to understand that this was for the best. The Inquisition needed to know about the Elder One's sinister intentions, and the ambush. It would be wiser to go alone. Also, they needed to lead and to protect these people until they reached Redcliff.

"Enough brothers, we have wasted too much time. All of you need to depart now, and I need to go before the Elder One reach Haven. I will contact you as soon as I am able. I pray for both of our safety."

And then, he rode off before hearing what the others had to say. It seemed it was also hard for him to leave them, "I hope they can forgive me for this."

"They want to punch you. Septom is saying mean things, you didn't let him talk.", Cole said, while having trouble holding on.

Greggory chuckled and wasn't surprised by their reaction. He adjusted Cole's hands to grip his hip more securely, "They still love me. I'm sure."

Cole didn't need to confirm him that. That would never change, he hoped.

Speaking of changes, it reminded him of what happened in that cell. "Cole, I didn't tell you this before, that you have saved my life in that cell. I am not sure, I can return as myself if I kill another as that monster. And I'm not sure I can..." Greggory confessed.

The red lyrium's powers had left him. He could feel that the fade was leaving him again, along with that taint. However, he could feel the hunger, the beast, still lurked somewhere deep inside him. It was concerning that they were awake now, refused to be forgotten.

He needed to keep his emotions in check from now on. And, it would be healthier to avoid the foul Lyrium's help. It was tiring to keep his essence from its corruption, especially when he had to skewered people's hearts out.

"It want to hurt, it want to kill everyone. You don't want that. You want to save the people, to protect everyone.", Cole said. "And I believe that."

The rogue was surprised, when he opened that door. He faltered for a second, asking himself if he got the right door. But, when he saw how lost it looked, it somehow made him called out his name. Greggory was a spirit, and he could be manipulated to be a demon, the thought upsetted the rogue.  
"It was scary, but the horns are beautiful.", Cole added, and made him laughed.

"Antlers, and I'm glad you stick around, Cole."

Cole was glad to see him laugh, to see how human he was. He was gone for years, and Cole also had much to share with him. He didn't know what the spirit had done. He wanted to tell him, he was eager to know his opinions. He needed his judgement, and his guidance.

They had so much to catch up on.

Both of them had so much to explain.

..

 _To be Continued..._

* * *

 **Well well well,**

 **We all know where the next chapter will lead us.**

 **Thank you so much for reading**

 **Much love for you who leave a favorite and follow!**

 **Til next time, lovelies!**


	8. Chapter 8 : Haven

**Oh joy to see you reading this fic,**

 **Enjoy, Lovelies.**

* * *

"What's with the long face, sparkler?"

His expression remained dreary, looking unamused at the dwarf's question. He wasn't eager for their usual banter, but of course, that didn't mean he would let Varric have the last laugh.

"Guilty, I know. It's tough to have this perfectly shaped face, Varric. Just look at this profile." Dorian demonstrated, and sighed, "Sometimes, the attention can be unbearable."

Varric rolled his eyes, before sitting down beside the cheeky mage, "Okay, so that's why you are sulking in the dark corner, while people are celebrating?"

The mage admitted that he was being a party pooper, although he wouldn't tell that to the dwarf.

Dorian knew that he should be overjoyed, especially after they had successfully closed that damn hole in the sky. They were one step closer in preventing that dark future. A future, he would never partake in or let it ever be realized, despite what the others said about his countrymen. It's hard enough to show the world the brighter side of his home, without their idiocy getting in the way.

He didn't want to acknowledge this, but he saw more Tevinter than anything, when he and Ellana were stranded in that dismal future. And that had bothered him exceedingly. However, praise be thy Maker, it was not the only thing he had to stress about. He started to worry, if the headache could harm his natural beauty.

Dorian looked to the crowd across him, everyone was cheering, singing, dancing and definitely drunk. It's amusing how much their personalities changed after three bottles. Nevertheless, he didn't mean to be such a killjoy, which was a role solely belonged to their dearest Blackwall. Dorian couldn't help but frowned, when the brute was brought up.

He wanted to curse on that dream. It was turning him into a moody old lady. Absurd, how one small nap could cause him this much hassle. There was no reason for it to come back, and haunted him.

"If I close my eyes forever, will it all remain the same?", those were the words from his dream. The memory was a bit blurry, but he could make up some of it. There was that dark figure, they were kneeling, sitting? He couldn't tell. After that, those words appeared in his head. No voices, just words that were permanently stitched to his brain by now.

It's unusual. Yet, to be fair, he had plenty of weird dreams before, Maker knew he did. But, somehow, this one felt important, to who? Dorian didn't know.

"Let me be frank with you, sparkler. That 'dark brooding prince' look isn't working for you. And trust me, I know an expert.", Varric said, when Dorian suddenly turned quiet, and had a very serious look on his face. The Tevinter was practically begging for the attention, the dwarf thought.

He felt a bit pity though, when Dorian tried to recover from his silent pondering.

"Is that a challenge?" Dorian asked, sounded intrigued.

"W..", Varric was about to give his best comeback, when everything suddenly went south. The loud ringing from the bell, followed by soldiers rushing towards the gate, made the two jumped up to their feet. The two unlikely duo looked at each other, before quickly went to find out what's with all the commotion.

"What do you think, sparkler? Ten royals says the next thing we run into farts fire." Varric said coolly as they ran. "I'll take that bet. I win either way." Dorian smugly said.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

To think the peace would last, that tonight, all of them could have this long delayed victory. It wasn't much of a surprise for the former Knight Commander, but he was working on his optimism, just like she suggested.

A tricky thing to accomplish, after they had discovered a darker plot behind the Conclave. He was sure that their unknown guests had something to do with it. And, If anyone were to guess their intentions, he would say that nothing good could come out of it.

The idea immediately made his mood drop, more so after he saw Lady Pentaghast and the ex-prisoner came to join in the debacle. He prayed that he was wrong, he prayed that she wouldn't do anything extreme, like jumping head first into the face of danger, again.

His heart could only take so much.

"Under what banner?" Lady Montilyet asked.

Cullen hesitated, because his report mentioned none.

It brought the people of the Inquisition no comforts to see the massive armies in the far distance. No banners, and many of their scouts didn't return.

Then all of the sudden, something banged on the gate, making it trembled slightly. All of them simultaneously armed themselves, yet, they were not looking forward for another battle. They believed everything would be over once the breach disappeared.

"I can't come in unless you open.", a meek voice came from beyond the gate. It was definitely not what they had expected. They didn't know how to approach this, except for the ex prisoner, but nowadays, she was widely known as the Herald of Andraste, the very woman who had pushed the Inquisition thus far.

A miracle some would say, and not a few people who believed that she was truly the Andraste's chosen, even though she was an elf.

Both influential and scandalous, the elven woman had gone through so much. The changes in her life could turn anyone insane, but she endured. She fought on with her good heart, for the Inquisition's success, and the other's well being. She cared for the people, and they cared for her.

The Herald boldly ran to the gates, ordering the guards to open it. She realized the danger, but they needed to get answers. Cullen and Cassandra wanted to protest over her reckless decision, but they were too late, she already headed out of the gates.

*THUD*

The Venatori fell to the ground as she took one step outside, The Herald, Ellana of clan Lavellan, was cautious and kept a close eye at the killer behind the Venatori's corpse. As their eyes met, she felt strangely at ease, thinking that the shem with the big hat was not here to be their enemy.

"I'm Cole, I came to warn you, to help, people are coming to hurt you, he need-"

"Huh? Please, slow down, you are not making any sense.. Cole, is it?" Ellana cut him off, when he started to ramble. She couldn't keep up with the odd shem, he mentioned that someone wanted to hurt them? Then, she figured he was talking about the dead Venatori and their unknown guests.

"Yes, you have to come, to help him, I will lead the way!" Cole said, making zero sense again, but she detected a subtle fright in his monotonous voice.

Suddenly, the shem just took off, without making sure if she was following him. Ellana raised a brow at the shem. She thought that, if this was a trap, it would be an silly one.

Then again, he could be telling her the truth, and someone was truly in danger. The man did come all this way to warn them. The Herald thought on what to do, she always followed her heart at times like this, and right now, it was telling her to help.

As Cole ran towards the frozen lake, the Herald looked back to the advisers. Some of them already knew what's going on through her head, and quickly showed their disapproval.

However, her mind was made. She would apologize later to them, like always. And to be fair, they had followed stranger things before.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"He should reach them by now. Good.", he thought as he raised his sword again, more difficult each time he did it though. He glared at his pursuers, the ones who remained standing.

All of them used to fight for the same cause once, but now, their uniforms were tainted by red crystals, ruining the symbol that used to mean something. It was suffocating to see them betrayed the order so blindly, literally.

He believed that the red lyrium, those living parasites, was eating away the life out of his fellow brothers and sisters, controlling them to do the Elder One's evil bidding.

It was a dreadful cage full of pain.

"I will free you from him, I promise.", Knight Commander Greggory said to the Red Templars. But, none of them had any interest on answering, let alone talking. They were inclined on taking down the Commander, and presented him to the Elder One, either dead or alive. A task, that proved to be harder than they expected, after the Commander had taken out three of them.

Greggory held back the pain, and tried to keep his vision clear. His shoulder got pretty messed up, after they fell from their horse. The pain got worsened, when his adrenaline was starting to wear off. But, thanks to his pride and stubborn self, he shrugged off the injury, and thought that as long as he could lift his sword and shield, they didn't matter. He would keep them distracted, until Cole had reached Haven.

He regretted, that three of them managed to slip passed him, and was chasing after the rogue. He couldn't stop them, because he had to hold off the rest. But, he believed that Cole could handle them.

With a loud smack, another one collapsed, and stained the white snow. The crystals weren't the only red thing now. Pausing on their spot, The Red Templars reconsidered their strategy, after the Commander just bashed one of them to death with his shield. Drops of blood fell from the sharp end of his shield, and it would continue to claim another soul, judging by the look on its holder.

They didn't think the man could cause them all of this trouble. He was no mage, he had done no tricks, so far. He was just like any other Knight Commanders, like any other stubborn and self righteous Templars. They should have had him minutes ago.

Greggory made sure that he moved as little as possible, avoiding anything excessive that prone to snap his shoulder off. Unfortunately, the night was not on his side, when the Red Templars started to mutate. It was not a sight that he could get used to.

"They will pay for this. He will pay dearly for this." He thought and raised his shield up as one of the mutated charged towards him.

Determined, the Commander skillfully dodged its first attack, and swiftly stabbed it where no crystals protected its skin. The red Templar shrieked, its attempt in fighting back was denied, when Greg bashed it right in the face.

Greg hissed when the pain appeared, and he lost his grip on the sword, letting it get stuck in the mutated Templar as he fell to the snow.

He cursed, holding his throbbing shoulder, and then took a few steps back. He quickly searched for his throwing knives, when the other abominations started to creep towards him.

He frowned, when he couldn't find any backup weapons, leaving him with nothing but his shield and fists. "This will take a while.."

He felt that his body was reaching its limit. Only a matter of time, before he had to turn to his spirit side for aid, a desperate and possibly a dangerous path, considering what had transpired in that fortress.

Surprisingly, it didn't come to that.

"Cole!"

He spontaneously called out the straw hatted rogue, when he appeared and stabbed one of the Red Templar. With his twin daggers, Cole made sure it could never get up again.

Greggory was overjoyed to see his spirit friend, that he overlooked how unnecessary that last four stabs were. However, before he could join him, he discovered that Cole didn't come alone.

People from all races came to his aid, and easily overwhelmed the Red Templars.

The Inquisition, he guessed.

It was amazing to see them fight. The rumors weren't exaggerating, the Commander thought. Naturally, it didn't take long until they got the last Red Templar.

"Are you okay, Greggory?" Cole said, checking on him.

"I am, Cole." He nodded to the rogue.

He wanted to catch his breath and rest his aching body, but they didn't have that time. So, he turned to his other saviors.

"That armor.. Commander Greggory? Is that you?"

Greg looked at the woman in the Seeker armor, and asked himself how did he not see her, "Lady Cassandra, I am so glad to see you.", Greggory said, feeling happy to see her alive and fighting. However, he remembered that they didn't have time for pleasantries.

"We do not have much time, my lady. All of us need to leave Haven now!" Ser Greggory told them, and rushed to retrieve his sword.

"What?" Ser Cullen asked bewildered. "What is going on, Commander? Are they Templars?"

Cullen noticed the symbols under all of those red lyrium. His reaction was the same as the others, when he saw how the crystals grew out of their skin.

"What happened to them?" A feminine voice joined in, it came from the elven woman.

Greggory felt the fade from her, drawing him to her. It made him a bit skittish, especially that she was an elven mage, the one who did the most damage in the fight.

"They were Templars. The Elder One did this to the order, and he have the same plans for the rebel mages.", Greggory said, as he gestured them to move to Haven. "Those people on the hills are his, and he wants to destroy the Inquisition. We need to evacuate the people now."

Then, the Seeker caught up to him, and stood in his way, "You need to tell us more than that, Commander. You have been gone for years!", she exclaimed.

Greg noticed the relief and anger in her aura, he understood her worries, "Cassandra, we need to move the people to safety. I promise I will explain everything after. You have to.."

"Greggory! He is here." Cole interrupted.

All of them stopped, eyes were following to the direction where Cole was pointing. There, up on the mountain. Thousands or more, a massive army of red were marching towards Haven. And, amongst the crowd, they saw him, the Elder One. He was there, leading his army to erase Haven from the map.

Greg felt the blight from him, but he was unlike any other Darkspawn. He was more ancient, smarter, and powerful. He was not what the Commander expected, it changed everything he knew about the whole thing.

"Don't..", Greg prevented Cole from reading the darkspawn, the rogue mentioned that it hurted when he tried to get inside his mind. He assured Cole that it wouldn't be necessary, and he needed to save his energy.

"We can't help the Templars, their minds are under his control. Maker watch over us." Ser Greggory added grimly.

...

...

"Move it people! Let's go!"

Civilians ran to the Chantry, carrying what they could. The soldiers helped them evacuate, keeping everything from falling apart.

Greggory was impressed by their spirits.

Their current situation would have made even the greatest king be lost in the midst of panic. But, not the Inquisition.

The people followed through Commander Cullen's instructions for evacuation. And, they believed in the Herald to save them from their doom.

The elven woman, who was obviously the Herald, took the initiative to go, and to arm the trebuchets. They planned to hit the enemy with an avalanche.

A good plan, but the Commander was worried if it would be enough. He observed as they discussed their moves, and then the Herald left with her three companions.

"Arl..", the word suddenly left the Commander's lips as soon as he saw one of the Herald's companion. He couldn't seem to finish the word or recalled why he said whatever he wanted to say.

But, one thing's for sure, his heart was beating faster, after he laid his eyes on that man. He was confused, mesmerized, he couldn't look away from his dashing face.

"Greggory?"

The Commander jerked when he felt someone gripped his arm, he looked at the pale hand, and then to Cole, "Is it your shoulder? Or did the red lyrium…"

"No, It's nothing.", he quickly stopped Cole there, "Let's go and help out."

He hoped the rogue didn't notice his evasion.

He himself didn't understand what he was doing. He couldn't lose control over a pretty face, which was a first.

"Did I hit my head?", Greg wondered, and decided to ignore what just happened. But then, he realized that he was going towards where that man was heading with the Herald.

"Damn it Greg, clear your head!", he wanted to facepalm himself.

"Are you sure?" Cole piped in again, hinting his shoulder.

"Yes." he answered with a long sigh.

 _to be continued_

* * *

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 **I hope you have a great day :3**


	9. Chapter 9 : Their Escape

**Oh, hai there.**

* * *

"What if she's still back there, trapped with that.. thing!", the frantic protest came from the Tevinter as they ran towards the Chantry.

He looked over his shoulder again, checking if she was ever going to catch up with them. His heart sank, when no one was there.

"We have to believe in her.", the right hand of the Divine stated, and kept telling herself that Ellana would pull through.

She wrinkled her forehead in stress, because of the daring elf. Herald or not, it was only a matter of time until she ran out of miracles. She couldn't keep letting Ellana take all the risk. "She better come back.", Cassandra thought, she wouldn't be able to forgive herself if Ellana didn't return.

...

Cassandra pushed open the door to the already empty Chantry. It granted them some relief that the people were far from danger.

"Guess they're already out. What now?" the dwarf asked, his cool remained unbroken.

He was probably the only one, who wasn't worried about Ellana's whereabout. Varric cared for her, of course, she was a friend. But, she was also their magical herald, and he believed in her. He would bet that she would show up the next day, and acted like nothing crazy had happened. All in the days work for their chosen one, he thought.

"Lady Cassandra!", a new voice echoed through the empty hall, it surprised them greatly that someone was still here. However, the masculinity in the voice destroyed their hope for Ellana's safe return. Instead, they saw a Templar appeared from the shadows.

As he ran towards them, they noticed that his armor looked different than the Templars in the Inquisition. And Cassandra knew why, it's because he was never with the Inquisition. He was in her list, but the man disappeared like some others.

Cassandra knew Ser Greggory, they had worked together before. She respected the Commander, he was a good, and fair man. Always loyal to the order, and strived to keep the peace, thus she wasn't surprise that his disappearance took a part in lightening the fuse to the whole Mage-Templar war.

Greggory would never allow it, and he had the influences to keep it from happening. Unfortunately, none of those meant anything without his presence.

"Commander? Why are you still here?" The Seeker asked in disbelief, she remembered that he was with Cullen, before they left. She was hoping that he had escaped with them.

"Thank the Maker, you made it back. All of you.", the Commander smoothly said, as his gaze moved from Cassandra to her companions.

His eyes stayed a little longer on the mage, hoping he was subtle about it. He forced himself to stop his nonsense, he should realize that there was literally an archdemon just outside that door.

The Commander cleared his throat, and then noticed that they were one person short, "Wait. Where is the Herald?", Greg asked, feeling stupid for the miss.

Cassandra then told him what happened, about how they got separated. He gave his sympathy for the Herald's unknown fate. He might have known her for a very short time, but he had a feeling that she was the core of this group. It showed from the way they listened, and reacted to her presence, both the Inquisition people and the people of Haven. The Commander was sure that her absence could cripple the Inquisition, for she was their faith and strength in fighting this evil.

He would like to venture on and to find her, but he couldn't possibly abandon the right hand of the Divine now.

Suddenly, his heart told him that he also needed to protect the other man in front of him. He was glad that his helmet concealed his warming face.

He couldn't control his emotions, even when they were moving through the secret escape route. More than once, he had to stop himself from looking back to that face. He couldn't tell why he was acting like this, or why did the mage intrigued him so.

He admitted that Dorian was a good looking man, but surely, the reason was not that straightforward. He felt irritated for acting like a teenager, scared to meet his eyes, interested in everything he said, or how he was tongue tied when those passionate green eyes trapped him in their gaze.

"For Maker's sake, I'm too old for this.", he thought as he closed his eyes in annoyance.

...

...

Seeing that the tunnels were getting smaller as they progressed, all of them started to doubt if they were going the right way. It gave them some reassurance, when Greg announced that the tracks were looking a bit more recent. Hopefully soon, they would be reunited with the others.

"Commander." Lady Pentagast started, getting the Templar's attention, while they were moving through the tunnel, "You haven't tell me what happen to you. I have tried to contact you, and even sent some men to go and search for you.", the Seeker sounded worried than suspicious. Well, she couldn't think of the Commander as someone sinister, he trusted him with her own life.

"Yes. It was a long story, to put it shortly, we were tricked by the Venatories. They kept us away from Orlais, so we couldn't endanger their vision for a war.", the Commander said, and promised her the full story once they were safe.

"What did the Venatories do?", Dorian asked, he felt responsible for their malicious deeds. Then, the Tevinter saw the slight change in his relaxed posture, after he asked him. He looked more defensive and refused to look at him.

"Their foul magic happened.", The Commander said, his voice sounded colder and a bit forced.

Dorian didn't know what to say about that. He guessed that whatever his countrymen did, it was very bad. He suddenly felt guilty for that.

"Figures those lot have something to do with it." Varric joined in, after the two men had made things tense. "Maybe, it's a new trend for them. Butting in, and creating one disaster after another."

"Ugh. This is not a laughing matter, Varric." Cassandra scolded him.

"What? I'm being serious, seeker." Varric defended and shared his little love for the Magisters, while keeping in mind not to offend his Tevinter friend.

The dwarf didn't get to finish his list of "why I hate those moronic Venatories", because the group saw a glimpse of the exit.

"Finally, I thought I was going to die of claustrophobic." Varric stated.

"And they say I'm the drama queen." Dorian commented.

Cassandra sighed, but her heart was relief. There was a little voice that made her hope that Ellana was already there with the others, all too ready to point out how late they were.

…

...

The night sky was in their sight, and would be within their reach soon. Unfortunately, they were rudely interrupted by the unwelcoming color of red.

"Did you really think you can out run the Elder one's judgement?", the Venatori maniacally said as they gained up behind them.

The masked magister was accompanied by two mutated Templars, but it was not them that struck the others speechless, it was the big creature behind the magister. A behemoth, Greg identified from the documents in Therinfal.

The creature towered over them, red crystals had grown and infested its whole body. The pain in him was roaring at the Commander's spirit side.

"What did you do to that man?!" Cassandra asked in fury, and pointed out what he did to the poor man was inhumane and disgusting.

The magister scoffed, acting so proud of himself. "It is a masterpiece only a God can create, something your dense brain can't comprehend, I'm sure."

"Hah! You're delusional." Dorian said in disgust.

"Batshit crazy, more like." Varric added.

The Venatori held his head high, and ignored the non-believers. He was more interested in their runaway Commander. He was very displeased of what occured in the fortress. "I know you feel the power from the lyrium, Commander. They are calling for you, aren't they?" He said, and signaled the behemoth.

The magister was sure that the Knight Commander had a taste of the red lyrium, before he managed to break away from his chains. The behemoth released a cloud of red lyrium dust towards the small group. The Magister felt triumphant when the Commander reacted to the dust, and didn't move away from it, like the others.

The Commander felt the foul energy, it was returning to him. The song was tempting him to accept his true self, his inner hunger. Soon, the pain started.

Greggory put a hand on his helmet, then suddenly took a few steps away from the group.

"Greggory!", Cassandra was about to go to him, before Greggory raised his hand to stop her. He almost growled, when he told her to keep their distance from him.

"Go on, Commander. Accept the gift and serve our God. Dispose the heretics!", The Venatori sweetly ordered.

"Release him!" Dorian demanded, and casted a fire spell.

A huge fiery blast appeared between the mutated Templars, one of them scurried around in flames. The Venatori shielded himself with magic as the spell bursted, and was amused, "Get the seeker, and crush the rest.", he ordered the behemoth.

Varric used his remaining arrows, and aimed carefully at the giant. A few well placed shot made it staggered, but not enough to stop it, even with Dorian's help.

Cassandra got her shield up, and held her stance in front of the marksman and the mage. She was trying to find a soft spot in all of those crystals, any opening for them.

"I won't let you take them!" Cassandra shouted.

...

...

Dorian repeatedly glanced at the struggling Commander, while thinking of a way to help him. He couldn't let them take the Commander. He was getting vexed at the thought of losing him that he unconsciously shouted, "Commander! You have to fight back!"

The Commander's visor moved to meet him, something told the mage that behind that damaged steel, was a couple of eyes, staring intensely to his own. He felt his chest tightened, he couldn't look away.

The sharp shriek from the behemoth made Dorian broke away first.

He cursed as he casted lighting bolts to it, but the creature ignored their attacks. Then, it started to run to them, shaking the ceiling of the tunnel, and was about to drown in its prey's blood.

Cassandra told them to move, but suddenly, a figure appeared in a blink, and stepped into the Behemoth's space. The creature failed to stop the Commander, when he touched a spot, where its heart should be.

Greggory was in pain, but he refused to give in. He summoned his spirit strength to push the corruption into the Behemoth. He could feel his own excessive essence also entered its heart, linking them both for a few seconds.

Greggory looked up to the "monster", and realized who it was, Knight Captain Denam.

The behemoth stumbled backwards, breaking the link. It was stunned, when two polar opposites energies were battling each other inside of it, overwhelming it.

Greggory staggered back, and pitied the Captain's fate. He wanted to end his misery, but he couldn't do it without risking the other's life. Greggory turned to the group, and ordered them to run.

Despite, the bizzare things the Commander had performed, they listened. All of them instantly made a run for it.

They could hear the Venatori loud rant, and desperate commands to chase after them. A hilarious thing, that Varric noted to add in one of his books.

"Shit. Did you feel that?", Varric asked in panic, when he felt the ground shook. He wished the tremor was just a figment of his imagination. He had enough surprises for one day. But alas, the quake became stronger, shaking the whole tunnel, shaking its beams. Until, a loud explosion appeared.

"Quickly!" Cassandra yelled, she had a guess that it was the Herald's doing. They had to get out of this tunnel now.

"Shit. Shit."

They could see the incoming rush of snow behind them, impatient to swallow them all. The snapping sound of the wooden beam could match their beating hearts as they ran.

Dorian wished he didn't look back, but he did, and made his breathing worse. He was starting to regret choosing liquor over a good exercise under the blighted sun. It was embarrassing enough, that they had a dwarf in the group.

He wouldn't let the shame drowned him, if it didn't feel like someone was strangling his lungs. The mage was about to give up, before someone took his hand, and pulled him to run again. "We're almost there!"

As he was finding it hard to breathe, Dorian watched the Commander, and then their intertwined hands. He thought that this would be romantic, if they toned down the crazy Templars, darkspawns, and snowy death trap.

The man motivated him to keep running, but he was really struggling.

"I..*wheeze*.. Done…", Dorian swore he wasn't being dramatic, but he was close on losing conscious. He showed the Templar how much of a deadweight he was, but the other man refused to let go. His strong grip assured Dorian that he would drag the mage if he had to. Scary, yet he was grateful.

They could almost touch the light now. They could feel the cold breeze, both in their front and back. Greggory looked behind him, looked at the mage who was so out of breath, looking at those pained eyes. Those pair of beautiful green orbs, that had made him felt so many emotions in one night.

The Templar felt something stirred in his spirit side. The lyrium played around inside of him, however, he couldn't tell if it was his own or the tainted one.

Then for a moment, the earth stood still. He didn't dare blink, and was content by looking at those hazel eyes. But, the longer his gaze stayed, the sadder they looked.

He didn't know why, didn't remember why, and it seemed that the world didn't want him to have that answer. As his essense escaped him, he felt the world around him shifted. His mind identified the occurrence as an illusion, and then mustered his courage to break away from Dorian, and dared himself to peek at his surroundings.

His heart went heavy, after he saw the change of scenery. It was a place, that had nothing worth remembering.

The marbled grand hall was painted in blood and destruction. Its walls had seen numerous of battles, and kept plenty of scars from those encounters.

Feeling disturbed by the grim view, the Commander returned to those comforting eyes, but only to see them changed in color, green turned blue. And then, he realized that he was staring at his own.

Dorian had vanished, and was replaced by this miserable human before him. And he looked terrible, his old primitive armor was torned and ruined, his face was bruised and bloodied, certainly an insulting replacement for the lovely mage before.

It looked like he was more than ready to shatter down to the ground, if it weren't for the hand, his hand, that was holding him, guiding him.

Greggory looked at his hand, slender fingers not his own, and a skin not his color. He wanted to know whose eyes he was looking out from, whose body did he possessed.

Who would hold on to a weak, and fragile beast like him. Who was stubborn enough to hold on to his hand like that? Who?

No, he didn't need to seek the answer. He knew of it, right from the start. But he was weak, and useless like before.

Greg blinked, as he whispered the elf name, "Arladahl.."

As soon as his eyes opened, he returned to his primitive body, looking at the elf in front of him. He was still holding him dearly, leading them both towards the door at the end of the hall.

He was still as lovely as he remembered, even with those small cuts in his dark skinned cheek. Even with the tired and pained looked in his green eyes. He remained to be the most beautiful creature he'd ever met. And how he missed him.

Then, he felt the grip slowly tighten around his hand. He saw his lips moved, as if time started to function again. Greggory desperately tried to read his lips as the world around them started to shift wildly. And again, he blinked.

"Vishante Kaffas!"

His hand was holding the others so strongly as he felt something hit them in full force from behind, and sent them off the ground.

Snow, avalanche, the words appeared in his mind, reminding him of where and when he was.

The illusion, or whatever just happened to him a second ago, made him realize some things about himself and the human he was holding.

But regardless, he pulled Dorian to an embrace, and shielded him from the ground.

….

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

….

"Wow! You guys really FLY!", the mischievous elf snorted and laughed, while she pointed at them. The others went to help them, when she laughed it off for another minute or two.

The people of the Inquisition was about to move to a more secure location after they had waited long enough for them. They were surprised when the tunnel coughed them out, rather comically.

Cassandra grumbled as she got up from the snow, while Varric was patting away the snow in his clothes, and did a quick check on his crossbow.

"That was unpleasant." Dorian commented.

It was quite a graceful land, less painful than he expected. He could breathe normally now, and nothing felt sore, yet.

It was only after he started to move, that he realized that someone had cushioned his fall. The Commander grunted, when the man on top of him struggled. He was feeling so many pain, coming from so many places.

"Goodness! I apologize, I have no idea you're there!" Dorian panicked, and carefully get off from the man. Dorian felt nothing was out of place as he stood up in one fluid motion, and it was all because of the Templar who was laying on the snow in front of him.

He extended his hand to the Templar and smiled, "Thanks. I believe I owe you a drink later?"

The Commander looked at him, looked at those marvelous face of his. A face that resembled another person from his past, even with the lack of elven features or the added facial hair. A person who was dearest to him. It was torturous to how similar, but also different they were.

Then he felt something ran down his face. He looked away from the mage, and moved to stand, ignoring the helping hand.

The guilt would subdued, he thought after he noticed that his action had hurted the mage's feelings. It was unnecessary, but his sanity couldn't deal with this right now. He had to get away from him.

As he straightened his back, the sharp sting on his shoulder made him flinch. He held back the pain as he held onto his shoulder.

"Will there be no end to this torture?", he thought, and was irritated by it all.

"You're hurt!" Dorian said, and looked at his shoulder. Dorian could predict how bad it was, the Templar needed to get them treated, immediately.

"Let me help, I may not be a savant in the arts of restoration but I can.." Dorian hated it, when he was being interrupted, especially when he was being sincere.

"No, it's fine.", Greggory said in a rugged voice, the pain was visible in it. He knew that he couldn't fool anyone with the act, so he turned away from Dorian, and started to walk away.

Lord Pavus looked at him in utter disbelief. He felt rather disappointed for his cold demeanor. He wondered if he had said anything to offend the Templar. He pondered it for a minute, and came up with some conclusions. One, he was a Tevinter, and two, he was a mage. The other circled around those two reasons.

"Okay, sparkler, what did you do?", Varric walked up to him, after seeing the painful interaction between the two, it might as well rival Anders and Fenris first meeting. Well, it really stung just to watch them.

Dorian shrugged, "You heard us, you tell me. I was polite, and being quite the gentleman like I always do. I even said thank you to him. Hmph, how uncivil."

Then, Varric chuckled and clapped him in the back, "Give the guy a break. The Venatori was the reason why he was missing for a couple of years."

The dwarf's statement made the mage nodded, but still, he wasn't satisfied with it. He expected more. Even though, he didn't know what he was expecting, but the feeling existed.

He was in a deep thought that he didn't realize, he had walked away without giving the amused dwarf any smart remark.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

He held his shoulder a bit tightly when it throbbed. But, that pain was minor compared to the pain in his heart, his memories.

Carefully, he let go of his shoulder, and reached for the gap under his helmet. He wiped away any traces of tears, before it froze.

He wanted to, Maker knew how much he wanted to look back, to look at him again. He needed to make sure that he was mistaken. Then, he sighed, realizing how stupid he sounded.

"Another one of your games, huh." Ser Greggory said in his mind. He even tried to make a joke out of it, saying that he should have seen this one coming. He tried to laugh at his own joke, but it sounded quite miserable.

As he walked, he suddenly felt immense feeling of grieve to his left. Greg frowned as he saw the people looked at their buried village, white all over their home. He heard whispers about a shot to the mountains that caused the avalanche. It hit the Elder One's armies, and then the village.

All of them believed that it was the Herald. She sacrificed herself for their escape. Greg could feel more sadness after that, but it didn't last, and their spirit slowly raised back up again.

They believed, she would dodge death yet again, that their Herald would come back to them, come back to guide them through this, just like she had guided them before.

Remarkable, Ser Greggory thought.

"The snow put out the flames on their candles, their home slumber under the white blanket. She will come back, he said. She is nowhere, yet her light burns brightly with them, lighten the path for them."

Cole suddenly stood beside the Commander.

He agreed with the spirit as the people started to move, carrying home with them.

There was no one that could replace their Herald, and the Inquisition would never recover without her. It would ruined them.

"She has to come back." Greg stated.

"She is out there, he is sure. Death cannot take her, not even now. He hopes the stars will send his message to her. Lead her back to him." Cole said again as he looked to the crowd, Greg peeked in interest, but couldn't spot who he was reading.

He put a hand on Cole's shoulder, "Come on, Cole. Much work to be done." The Commander said, before walking to follow the crowd, Cose was closely beside him.

As the Commander was busy scanning for anyone who needed help, Cole glanced at him, he knew something was different with the Templar. Cole witnessed, when they got out of the tunnels. He saw how dismissive Greggory was to that human. It was unlike him to be so cold toward the glittery human, who had shown him nothing but kindness.

"Leave it for now, Cole." Greg suddenly scolded, trying to ignore Cole's prying eyes. He didn't wish to comply to the spirit's curiosity anytime soon. It was hard enough to suppress it all without Cole trying to bring it up.

"I felt the world shifted, a powerful, and untamed atmosphere from the tunnel, before the snow hit you." Cole explained.

He might watch the whole thing from a distance, but he felt the ambience, the same one that was lingering around Greggory. It was weak, but yet to vanished.

Cole eyed him with worry, "Will you be alright?"

"I will. A little sore, but I will be alright.", he smiled under the helmet, and patted the spirit's hat. He appreciated Cole's worries, and felt bad for causing him trouble.

Cole readjusted his hat. He wanted to believe him like always, but he faltered, and identified his words as a lie. It was an action that was starting to get repetitive after they left the White Spire.

Cole was determined to watch over his friend, more closely than ever. After what happened to Greggory back in that fortress, he didn't want the taint to take him, he didn't want to lose him to the darkness.

Of all the people in this realm, he hoped really hard that it wouldn't be him.

 _to be continued..._

* * *

 **I admit,**

 **I can see the possibility for Dorian to have any elven ancestry somewhere in his family tree.**

 **But one thing is for sure,**

 **he will absolutely kill it as an Elf.**

 **Dayumm.**

 ***clears throat***

 **Anyway, thank you for reading, you lovelies.**

 **Much love for the faves, follows and sweet sweet reviews.**

 **Hope you have a good day!**


	10. Chapter 10 : The Deer

**Enjoy Lovelies!**

* * *

"Come on, Ellana. You know this one."

The elf muttered to herself as she reread the small scroll, her eyes squinting, her tongue licking her lower lips.

Under the shade of the tree, the elf swore that she knew the meaning of the word.

Those sleepless nights of learning and memorizing those old dusty scrolls couldn't be all for nothing, she had to know this.

"Gah! I can't remember.", she said in frustration as she released the scroll to the ground beside her.

She forgot for a moment, the value of the ancient scroll she just carelessly drop. It rolled down, and stopped near her ankle.

As the wind blew her hair back, she sighed.

The elf decided that she needed a break before her head explode. She had been translating it for hours, but didn't make much progress.

However, it didn't mean that she was giving up. She was determined to prove herself to the Keeper, to show how much she had improved.

She didn't want the Keeper to see her as a child anymore. She was her First!

"There you are, lethallan."

Ellana jumped in surprise, then felt glad to see a couple of familiar faces behind her. The ones that wouldn't lecture her to death.

"Creators, you can't sneak up on me like that!" Ellana frowned, while the two hunters grinned.

"The keeper is calling for you, lethallan." The eldest of them all said. He shook his head as he turned around, and signalled her to follow.

But, Ellana had a different say to the order. It showed, when she didn't make any sign on getting up.

"You two go on ahead, I'll catch up.", Ellana said, and pleaded with her eyes.

She was sure that she almost had it, just a few more minutes, and she could translate the damn thing.

Also, she couldn't possibly head back empty handed, especially after she had "borrowed" the scroll without the Keeper's notice, again.

The other and younger hunter shrugged, "Well, we've told you.", then he turned to the older one, "Come on, let's go back. I hear there's a shem passing through the camp."

He made sure that the First heard him, "I saw him brought some strange trinkets, dwarven ones even!"

Ellana's ears perked up, and looked at them, but they already retreated back to the camp.

She cursed for her weakness. If they were telling the truth, then she had been wasting her time here, when she could spend time with those magnificent trinkets and cultures from the outside world.

"I hope it's old man Paul.", She hoped.

The shem was a friend, and had been very nice to her. She remembered that she asked him for some books. She hoped again that he remembered.

With that thought, she moved to stand up, and then picked up the scroll. She couldn't wait to see what he brought. She would even let the Keeper lecture her all night for it.

"I wish for such adventures, going to Orzammar, seeing big cities, definitely going to Orlais or..", as she was daydreaming, she suddenly heard something snapped.

She was startled, and quickly readied her staff. She guessed it was a twig or leaves, and then suspected that she wasn't alone, that someone was spying on her behind the bushes or the trees.

She scanned her surroundings, until, another noise.

"Who's there?" She asked in alarmed, and raised her staff to the shadow behind the trees. "Show yourselves! I won't be asking nicely the second time!"

The figure came closer with their heavy footsteps.

Ellana gulped, when the shadow became larger. And then.. Finally out of the shadows of the forest, and under the warm sunlight.

"Oh, thank the Creators…" She sighed in relief when it was only a deer. "I thought you were a bandit or something worse."

Not that she wasn't ready for it, but she preferred no violence on a lovely day or any other day. So, she welcomed the odd deer..

"Wait.." Ellana took another good look at it, and realized how uncommon it was.

It was the biggest deer she had ever seen in her life, and its antlers were no different. She admired at how amazing the creature was.

"Where did you come from? Are you lost, friend?", Ellana said, and tried to approach the majestic being.

She wondered where it came from, it didn't look like it belonged in this world.

The creature reminded her of magic, then the thought made her lingered on other things, things from the outside world.

She came to realize that the world was not so unknown to her anymore.

She had those adventures, went to many places, and met so many people.

Her surroundings were starting to feel not as real as before.

"You see it now. You have to wake up."

Ellana stepped back from the deer when it spoke. Its rough and deep voice was not very pleasant to hear. It definitely opened her eyes about where she really was.

Bit by bit, she started to notice the little mistakes in the illusion, the dream.

Ellana looked at her hand, the green glowing scar appeared as she opened her palm.

She had to wake up, the creature was not wrong there. She hoped that she wasn't dead, not now.

"You are unconscious, but alive. Those spirits you're with, they are harmless, they just wanted to entertain themselves in your dream.", the deer looked at the path, where the hunters went, and then turned back to the elven woman, "You are very lucky."

"And you?", Ellana asked.

The creature, the spirit or demon, didn't have any foul air around it. And it wanted her to wake up, so at least their intentions were aligned, but just how much?

She remained vigilant as long as its true motives remained hidden. But then, the memories on Haven came back to her, "Wait, I can't be here. The others are still in danger!", She said, and tried to remember the last thing, before she blacked out.

She remembered the avalanche, and how she took a blind dive into some hole, the fall must have knocked her out.

But how long had she been out? She wondered if the people managed to get away from the abominations.

She decided that she had to find out herself, and so she focused her mind on waking up. She used her whole strength to go back, yet her efforts fruited no results.

Ellana was forced to stop, when her head throbbed. She bent forward, hands rested on her knees for support, as she endured the pain in her head.

"That is not pleasant.", she couldn't seem to break away from here.

"You hit your head very hard."

Ellana was surprised when the voice got closer. She raised back up and saw the deer beside her now, looking at her with its glowing blue eyes.

She was not okay with the creepy spirit, and how it knew about her. But, she was also fascinated, because she had never met any spirit quite like it.

It felt like it didn't want to hurt her, otherwise, it would try to attack her by now.

"Strange, that you know so much about this. You've been watching me?" Ellana asked, and watched the spirit's reaction. She had a spell ready, if it showed the slightest sign of evil.

"Yes, I want to help. I want to help the Inquisition. They can't defeat the Elder One without you.", the spirit said.

Ellana didn't expect it to know about those. It made her squint her eyes in suspicions, and assumed that it had been spying on the Inquisition.

The spirit could be telling her the truth or it could be a trick. It could be working for Corypheus. There had been plenty of demons that followed his every command. She couldn't cast aside that idea, even if the spirit had been nice to her.

"How can I trust you, spirit? If you are one." Ellana said as she aimed her staff at it. She eyed the spirit dangerously, but it was unaffected by her display.

"Ir abelas, I have no choice." It whispered.

Ellana wasn't quick enough to counter the claws that appeared under its fur. She gasped, and tried to struggle under its strong grip, but the spirit held her in place.

She looked at the spirit's eyes in anger, demanding it to release her, but that only tightened its grip over her.

"Release me! You will not have me, demon!"

The spirit ignored her rant. Although, it was offended to be accused as such.

Her fighting then went to a pause when power flew into her body. It was not her own, yet it provided her with what she lack.

As the new energy entered her, she also noticed that her surroundings was changing, the spirit or the demon's doing she guessed.

A few seconds later, she was presented with a view of some sort of a tunnel. Something told her that it was the tunnels under Haven.

"Wake up, follow down the path, and out of the tunnel. Look for their trail to the mountains, and you will find them. I believe in you, Herald."

Ellana's eyes glowed with both of their lyrium, she felt her body drifted away from the realm. And shortly, the spirit held nothing on its claws as she returned to the Waking world.

It prayed for the best, and hid back its claws.

The tunnels then disappeared, and changed back to the more welcoming forest. It's a shame that the deer wasn't so fond of the fade's version of a forest. It had nothing, but bad memories with it.

It was fortunate for them both, that the mark on her hand made it easier for it to track her down.

There were demons, the spirit had to banish a few of them on its way here. She was lucky to be watched over by kind ones.

Yet the question remained, which one are you?

The deer eyed a spot behind it, as its form was slowly leaving the fade.

There was another spirit that's been watching her, watching the two of them from the very beginning. There was a strong burst of power, when the deer grabbed the Herald.

The other spirit didn't quite like the hostile approach. But it seemed to know of the deer's good intentions, so it didn't interfere, and keep watching over them from the shadows.

The deer made eye contact with the wolf.

A silent contest started between the two.

It would be an interesting introductions, but for another time, the deer whispered.

The deer let the wolf win their staring contest, when it felt itself leaving the realm. It looked away from the wolf as it vanished into thin air.  
 _  
to be continued_

* * *

 **Uhm, yes it's very short..**

 **But I will update soon, very soon!**

 **Have a great day lovelies!**


	11. Chapter 11 : The Wound

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Follow down the path and out of the tunnel.

Look for their trail to the mountains

and you will find them."

*gasp*

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Meanwhile,

Somewhere in the mountains,

Both people of Haven and the Inquisition had come to seek safety, after their daring escape from the army of the damned. An army that was mostly buried alive under the fierce avalanche. It should be a big win for them, that they eluded the Elder One's ambush, but no.

Their side were suffering too, they had lost many good people, their home, and now they're lost somewhere in the lonely mountains

It had been a rough day. They thought it was all over once the breach was sealed away, they didn't foresee things to get this bad.

It was unfortunate, but at the very least, they're still alive. And, they had to keep it together through the cold nights with their blasted blizzards.

It's a bit relief, when the snowy storm was calming down. Their tents couldn't handle another night, if the wind persisted on being so harsh. It was nice to finally feel the warmth from the fire, well, except for one tent.

….

One tent, that was isolated from the rest.

By the look of it, the wind had done quite a number on it. However, that didn't stop some people from seeking shelter inside.

The person, who was responsible for the tent's location, was there. And, it seemed that he had a visitor, who happened to be close by and figured it wouldn't hurt to check on things.

The visitor was sitting on a log inside the shaky tent. The small flame on the campfire did nothing as he shivered, and pulled his blanket of fur closer. He was ticked off by it all, here they were trying to save the world from a maniac darkspawn, who asserted himself as god, and didn't hesitate for a "mass murdering" session. Yet, what did they got in returns? Death by hypothermia.

Although, it's probably just their luck to have a base at the foot of a mountain, a frosty one too. It's probably going to take a while, until they received any good news.

Dorian turned to look at the slumbering Templar, and marveled how he could sleep under this conditions. The resting man beside him was sitting on the ground with his back leaning against the log. He didn't even bother to remove his helmet, or covered himself with anything warm, save for his armor. He was sure that some parts of it were starting to freeze in place.

The mage shook his head, and thought that the Commander was lucky that he happened to pass by, and conveniently brought a spare blanket.

"Stubborn man." Dorian said to the Templar, when he moved slightly under his cozy blanket with cold breaths coming out of his visor.

Dorian looked outside again, guessing when the Templar's odd companion would return. His friend left after he showed up to their tent, leaving him with a simple hello, and "Watch over him.".

The nerve, he thought, he was not his babysitter. Certainly, the odd man realized how important he was. There was no reason for him to freeze in this sad excuse of a tent, just to watch over someone sleep.

"You're lucky that I owe you." Dorian said to the other, a little annoyed, but continued to stay by the Templar's side. The only reply he got was another slow breathing.

Then, as he was back on observing the other man, Dorian began to wonder how he looked under there. His accent told him that he wasn't a Ferelden, but, it didn't change the fact of how quick the people loved him.

He could understand why, the Commander got a kind heart, he was a decent man, despite how cold he had been towards the Tevinter. Which was a curious thing, since he didn't treat the other mages like so. He was familiar with the Orlesian mages, proper to Viviene and Fiona.

Dorian almost felt offended by it. Almost.

….

Then, another movement from the Commander, he was finding a better position to support his arm. He was very mindful with that one shoulder, and Dorian knew why. He was sure that he hadn't get it looked at. It was a wonder that he could move it at all.

The Templar and his odd friend had stayed in the back to help with the sick and elderly. He even lent his back to carry an old man, ignoring how bad that would be for his shoulder.

"Cohen, you are truly something else.", Dorian thought, his eyes were filled with admiration, and felt some guilt for sending a spy to watch them. Yes, he didn't know about all of this by chance, he had been keeping tabs on the two. It might sound suspicious, but it was for a selfless reason, he was only trying to repay him back for what he did in the Tunnels.

The mage didn't like to feel indebted to anyone, so he personally made sure that the Templar didn't snap his arm off, or anything worse. And it's true, that he could be direct with his intentions, but that would harm the Commander. He can't be seen with a Tevinter, now of all times. So, Dorian decided to spare them from the drama, yes, he was feeling rather gracious today.

Turned out, it was hard to find the chance to be alone with him. The people tended to flock around the Templar, and he wasn't exaggerating about this.

Which reminded him, of that time in their first "encampment".

Dorian smiled at the sweet scene, it was all a coincidence, when he and Varric happened to stumble upon it, when they strolled around the camp. They heard music of all things, so they followed it, and then discovered such a heartwarming scene.

There were people sitting around the campfire, listening to the Commander, who was playing Halewell's lute, while she sang a lovely song. Varric told him it was an Orleasian song.

Lady Halewell's performance was fine as always, but soon, they found out that the Commander also sang.

Dorian blushed when he remembered how he gawked like a fool when that handsome voice came out of him. He never would have guessed, and the Commander didn't look like a melody kind of guy.

Dorian dismissed the stray thoughts, that were trying to add more red in his cheeks, when the man beside him grunted, and was showing signs of waking up.

Dorian immediately looked away from him, pretending that he was definitely not watching him sleep.

...

Greggory stirred as he slowly opened his eyes. The small flame danced in front of him, a minute more he predicted that the flame would last. Not that it troubled him, in fact, he was in a good mood, because of his dream.

Greggory was committed to bring back the Herald to the Inquisition. It wouldn't be long before she reunited with them. She had to, because he needed her to make amends.

His discussion with Cole and the Grand Enchanter, had made him felt responsible for all of the deaths, for what the Lord Seeker Lambert had done. Fiona confirmed that his presence could prevent violence, but it wouldn't be enough to ensure the Chantry to make any changes for the Mages.

He needed to ensure the Inquisition's success, thus the elven woman had to return. But, when he was about to get up, he noticed that something new was wrapped around him, a blanket.

"How's your sleep? Though, I don't recommend sleeping in place like this. A man such as yourself can easily find a better tent than this, Commander.", Dorian said, making himself known.

The Tevinter noticed him flinch, before the Templar turned his attention to him. It was amusing, that he had caught the Great Commander off guard.

Then, it hit him, that they hadn't make any proper introductions before. So, the mage took initiative, and stood up to face the Templar.

"How rude of me, I haven't introduce myself before. Too busy avoiding certain deaths, and the usual demons, I am sure you can understand. Dorian, of house Pavus. A mage hailed from Tevinter, but not a member of the magisterium, I'm afraid.", Dorian said, and offered him a handshake. He added the last part, since the people here often asked him as soon as he brought up his homeland.

Greggory was a bit.. no, he was very nervous. He didn't expect the mage to be here. He wasn't even sure if he was ready to face him.

He saw the handsome mage as a piece from his past, that came back to haunt him. As the thought appeared, his conscience informed him that he was being irrational. He couldn't blame the human for the things he didn't do or know.

Greg decided not to be a jerk, and reached up for his hand to shake it. The other was trying to fix their chances on being better comrades, he couldn't squander it.

"Greggory Cohen, I was born in Ferelden, but grew up in Orlais. Knight Commander of the Templar order, or what's left of it. Good to meet you, Lord Pavus." Greg said.

They parted hands, and then the Commander stood up from the ground with the blanket still wrapped warmly around him. Another kindness from the mage, he noted.

He wanted to apologize for his rude behaviors, but the pain interrupted him. It was kind of embarrassing that Dorian had to see that.

"You won't help anyone with that shoulder, Commander.", Dorian stated rather blandly, a little revenge for ignoring him before.

The Commander felt the jab in his tone, but then he chuckled, thinking he deserved it, "You're right. I shouldn't have let it go untreated this long. I will go to the healer at once.", Greg said and quickly made his escape.

Alas, Dorian wouldn't have it.

"A little too late for that, Commander.", he said as he stood in the Commander's way, arms crossed.

Greg froze when he met those eyes again, he wanted to protest, but instead, he found himself being led gently to sit down on the log. He couldn't fight those caring hands, and his gentle aura.

Dorian didn't expect he would comply this easily. It was kind of cute to see how obedient he was.

The mage quickly grabbed for the bag next to him, he came prepared for this. Inside the bag was medical supplies, that he got from Adan. He had to avoid Mother Giselle, and asked a favor from the grumpy alchemist for it.

Greg could only watch as Dorian took out some balms, bandages, and other medical stuff. The mage looked serious with this, which didn't bode well for him, because his attention made his heart more ready to explode. A feeling that was both pleasant and hurtful. It was insane.

"I am very grateful, I am. But, there is no need to trouble yourself, the healer will take a look at my wound." Greg said, trying to draw some distance. But, his words only made Dorian looked disturbed.

"There's an open wound?" Dorian noted in his mind. Now, he couldn't possibly let the Templar get away. He had expected some bruises or a sprained muscle, but not that.

"Should have gone earlier then, now you are stuck with me. You need to know, Commander, that I don't like feeling indebted to anyone. So please, don't move too much.", Dorian seriously said as he stood behind Greg. After he got everything he needed, he gently unwrapped the blanket from Greggory, and set it on the ground.

"Indebted?", Greg thought, and realized what he meant by that. He decided not to overthink the situation, and let Dorian treated his shoulder. The sooner he was done, the sooner they could move on with their life.

Dorian noticed how he lowered his shoulders in defeat, showing no intent to struggle anymore. He took it as a sign to continue, and then started to take off his shoulder plates.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

"Pull that one there, and you'll be able to loosen it.", Greg instructed as he looked over his shoulder. He smiled, when they finally undid the knots on his shoulder plate.

"Finally, all of that nonsense are out of the way.", Dorian declared, after the hard part was over. They made a pretty good team, Dorian jokingly thought.

Dorian secured the armor on top of the blanket, and then took a seat beside the injured shoulder. He could see the blood that had drenched his tunic, a lovely piece of clothing too.

Then, he was faced by a new problem, as he looked at his tunic and chestplate. He was unsure how to get to the wound with the other armor still in the way. He had to stripped him...

"Here, use my dagger.", Greg took out his dagger, and offered it to Dorian before the mage's imaginations took flight.

"It's ruined anyway.", the Templar added to encourage the mage.

Dorian accepted the dagger, and nodded. "A shame.", he thought about the nice tunic, and for not getting to see the man's bare chest.. Again, Dorian plead to himself to focus on the current task at hand.

Carefully, he tore the tunic wide enough, and was greeted by a horrid sight.

"Egad. What happen? My weight can't be responsible for this.", Dorian said in surprise, and immediately set down the dagger, and then reached for the damped cloth.

Greg held back the pain as the mage clean his wound. He checked on the injury for himself, and was also surprised. The other man wasn't kidding on how bad it looked.

"I can't keep track to be honest. Plenty of people seem to hate my shoulder.", he said lightly.

Dorian looked at him in disbelief, "How can you joke about this? This is very serious."

He didn't know where his annoyance came from, but he couldn't hide how bothered he was by the Templar's carelessness of his own health.

"Please, take a better care of yourself, Commander. Next time, go straight to the healer.", Dorian scolded, and continued to clean the dried out blood.

The Commander unconsciously stared at the Tevinter as he worked. Smiling, when the mage fussed about his injury. Repeatedly, he reminded himself that there was nothing emotional about this, it was all platonic. So, he shouldn't take more advantage over his attention, he needed to stop finding comfort in his aura.

"I hope he finishes soon." Greggory thought, feeling the inevitable torn.

…

The wound didn't look any better even after Dorian had done cleaning it, and then stitched it. He frowned, and thought that the medicine wouldn't be enough. He had to approach this with another method. One that the Templar would be very much against.

"This just won't do, Commander.", Dorian announced, then looked at him sympathetically, "We have to rely on my magic, if we want to save your arm.", he added, and quickly stopped the other man before he could say no, "I know you don't like magic, but do make an exception, just this once. Let me help you, like you did before. You didn't see me resisting, when you saved me back there, did you?", Dorian smirked, he was sure that he had cornered the man.

The longer that visor looked at him in silence, the closer he was to his win. The man had lost this battle even before it was started.

The Commander looked away, looking anywhere but the mage, and said, "Do as you like."

Not so enthusiastic, but Dorian would take it.

So without a second to waste, he prepared the spell, and slowly moved Greg's arm to a better angle. He might not be an adapt healer, but he was confident to do enough for the Templar.

…

This was absurd, Greggory thought after he was forced to entertain himself with a brief flashback from the past, of a similar scene as this. Of an elf that shared some features with the Tevinter.

He didn't ask for this. He would never ask to relive the memory like this. It was sickening. But, what could he do? Greg sighed mentally, and blamed himself for being such a pushover. He shouldn't whine, when he didn't try harder on stopping their games.

It would be useless to hurt the mage now.

He had to deal with the consequences, with this torture.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Dorian peeked again at the Commander, while he healed him with his magic. That steel visor was still mesmerized by the smoke from the died out campfire.

As much as he loved the solace in his work, he prefered it if they could fill in the awkward silence. He thought they had moved past that awful interaction at the Tunnels.

Dorian wouldn't normally concern himself with trivial things, he was not here to please everyone. He got bigger goals to achieve, and he had a world to save. So why did he try so much with this? Repaying his debt sounded more like an excuse now.

Dorian pondered over the question over and over again, until he felt his magic was reaching its limit. Thankfully, the wound was healing.

"This should do it for now. Not bad, if I do say so myself.", Dorian declared and looked at his work, checking it twice to make sure. "I have confidence in all of my work, but just this once, perhaps you should see the healer when you can. Wouldn't hurt to be careful."

Then, Dorian picked up the bandages and wrapped the healing wound. He was glad, when that visor finally showed him some reactions. He hoped he did right with his wound. It looked a lot better, at least.

When Greggory checked his bandaged wound, and then turned to Dorian, it was the mage's turn to avert his eyes, feeling shy all of the sudden.

"The pain is gone.", Greg said, and moved his shoulder a bit, "Thank you, my Lord."

His shoulder felt great, and the irritating pain was gone. He could move it with ease now.

"It's nothing, truly. I wouldn't be here, if you weren't there in the Tunnels.", Dorian honestly said, and still too shy to look at him directly. It was silly for him to be like this.

"Ah, I'm sure you will be fine, Lord Pavus.", Greg said, and chuckled.

The constant formality was starting to tickle Dorian. He knew that he was being polite and respectful, but he didn't want him to limit himself. "As much as I love a constant reminder of my wealthy birthright, you, my friend, can just call me Dorian. Now, be still, I haven't finish bandaging this."

Greg didn't refuse, and move his arm as Dorian instructed. The mage tried to keep the bandages neat and tight, even with the constant distraction from his toned arm.

After a short while, his bandage was secure, and Greggory stood up to admire Dorian's tidy work. He was able to move his shoulder more freely, and with less pain now.

"You've done an amazing work, Dorian. I can't thank you enough.", Greg complimented the Tevinter, feeling a bit weird for calling him by his first name.

"Well, you already have, but it doesn't mean the compliments need to stop.", Dorian charmingly said.

"I'll keep that in mind.", Greg said in amusement.

Dorian laughed, and felt his heart raced a bit more. He then went to put away the medicines to his bag, an excuse to calm himself.

When he got his bag back, he noticed that the Commander was still interested in his bandaged wound.

Suddenly, he saw a spot that was a little loose. He unconsciously went to the Templar to make sure the bandages were in place. The sudden invasion of his personal space was a surprise, but Greg didn't push him away.

"Alright. Everything looks good.", Dorian said after he was satisfied with the bandages, while the Commander observed. He stayed silent as the mage went so far to get the blanket, and covered him with it, adjusting it so the Commander's shoulders were snugly covered. He raised his brow, wondering what the mage would do next to test his patience.

He smirked when Dorian realized how intimate his actions was. The mage took a few steps back, giving his space back. He looked away, a hand covering his lips as he coughed awkwardly. He didn't mean to do that, it just happen. Rather peculiar too, of how natural it felt to be close with him.

"You should head back, someplace a lot warmer than here." Greg said, pretending that close encounter never happened, saving them both from the awkwardness. The mage was relentless, but he didn't need to make things harder for them, he thought.

Then, Greg felt that he had offended Dorian with his suggestion. He didn't mean to be dismissive, he genuinely wanted Dorian to find a warmer tent than here. He knew that the mage was freezing, so he shouldn't endure it anymore.

"I want to accompany you, but I have to stay here and wait for Cole.", Greg explained, not wanting the mage to get the wrong idea.

"You're mad. It's extremely cold in here, and your fire is out." Dorian gestured to the ashes amongst the stones. And, how apparent that he got no more wood to burn.

"I will be fine, trust me. And, I do have your blanket here to keep warm, Dorian." Greg said, hoping the mage would accept, he couldn't stand looking at him shivering like that. Also, he needed him to leave, before he did something really foolish.

Dorian was flattered when he acknowledge the blanket, but it was replaced by annoyance. He wanted to call out on Greggory's stubbornness, he didn't want him to freeze his ass off, not after the troubles he went through for him. He created many reasons to why he should concern himself further with this foolish Templar, but deep down, Dorian truly cared for him.

Regardless the senseless revelation, he had no right to force him. It was not his place to make any demands from Greggory. No matter how much he disapproved of this, he had no other choice, but to head back without him. "Fine. Have it your way. Freeze or catch a bad case of cold if you want.", Dorian stated, and strutted passed him. He left the tent, refusing to give the Templar a second look.

...

Greggory shook his head after he was gone. Dorian was a very interesting man, he thought. It wasn't on purpose when he started to compare the human with someone else. He saw similarities, but he saw more Dorian than him. Their differences stood out the most, fascinated him the most. It was digging its way into his heart.

"He was worried, disappointed when you refused."

Greg held his ground from jumping in surprised, when the rogue appeared behind him. He then acted like he knew that Cole was there all along. "Welcome back, Cole." he casually said.

Cole couldn't see his expressions because of the helmet, but after watching them both, and knowing how the mage felt for his friend, Cole wanted to see them becoming good friends, or more. He wanted Greggory to be happy, and it seemed that Dorian could make that happen.

The Commander could guess what was going on in the spirit mind. He was not keen in what he had in store for him. But then, he remembered about his dream,

"Cole, I found her." Greg announced, and couldn't keep their Herald in the dark any longer. She needed their undivided attention. They needed to find a way to distract the people from moving, until she found them.

He… He would think about what to do with Dorian later. He promised that he would let the past die. He didn't want to drag down Dorian there, and he definitely didn't want to hurt him,

"It's going to be fine.", he said and then repeated it again.

And again.

And again.

 _to be continued…_

* * *

 **We are finally here.**

 **Dorian and Greggory.**

 **I'm just so excited for them.**

 **Thank you so much for following this story,**

 **I will update soon!**

 **See u in the next chap, lovelies!**


	12. Chapter 12 : Skyhold

**Enjoy, lovelies!**

* * *

"Talk to me, Dever. I remember you mentioned a daughter? That she's in Denerim?"

The old elf, maybe somewhere in his fifties, coughed and tried desperately to keep warm, before the question appeared. It came from the lad, who had been carrying him on his back throughout the journey. But, everyone could see that he was no ordinary lad, he was the Orlesian Knight Commander, Ser Greggory Cohen.

Therefore, it was hard to comprehend, a noble with his stature would concern himself with an old man like him.

The elf fractured his left leg, when they were escaping Haven. He managed to keep going, until they were out of the village. Unfortunately, with his injury, he couldn't withstand their rough journey through the cold mountains. He lost his strength, and fell down to the snow. There was a sharp pain from his leg, before his whole body went asleep, refusing to move any further.

He could have called out for help, yet he chose not to. Couldn't be bothered, he thought.

It might have been his pride, but he didn't want to trouble anyone. He told to himself that the others already had their plate full, and there was no more room for him.

So, he figured that it was time to say his goodbyes. But then, the Commander showed up, and changed all that.

Ser Greggory had stayed at the back of the group in order to help the healers and the injured. He made the people to come together in this dark times, reminding them that they needed to look out for one another. His kindness and strength moved their frozen hearts, and brought back hope for them.

Dever owed him his life, yet his kindness didn't end there. Even now, when the Commander was trying to distract him from the cold.

He smiled as he held onto the young man's shoulders, while being heedful of the bandages. "Yes, her name is Carroll, she has a flower shop in Denerim. It's a better life than most elves in the Alienage, thank the Maker for that.", Dever suddenly shivered before continued, "S..She is going to get married next month, the boy works as a guard no less."

"Congratulations, I am sure he's a good man, and will make her very happy.", Greggory said.

"She spoke fondly of him in the letters, I can feel her love for the boy.", Dever stated, but suddenly turned silent when a frightening memory emerged.

Back before the Commander came along, when he was giving up on himself, her face flashed through his mind. It created fear in his heart, he was afraid that he couldn't see her anymore, couldn't be there at her wedding.

"Tell her my good wishes for the wedding the next time you write to her.", Greggory said, his kind words brought Dever back from the dark memory. He felt solace, that he could still write to her, and be there by her side at the wedding. The happy thoughts made him eager to talk more about the wedding. He mentioned how she had planned it all, every little details.

Greggory sensed Dever's light had returned, and was happy to see how excited he was about the wedding. He believed that the elf would pull through. He would personally make sure that he do.

"I'm not surprise, if she chooses what you will wear for the Wedding too.", Greggory joked, yet Dever roaring laugh only confirmed it to be true.

Dever's laughter attracted many eyes, as the people subtly peeked at the two. It was unexpected to see the old elf laughed so freely like that. It was pleasant to see.

The elf was all alone, and everyone was busy with their own problems, with their own self or family. No one cared for him, and what would become of him. Except for the Knight Commander, he noticed him, and immediately went to his aid.

The compassionate Templar took off his coat, and covered Dever with it. Then, he offered his back to carry him through the thick snow. His selfless act brought shame to them, the old elf was no one to him, yet he treated him so dearly. He didn't stop after they made the first camp, he constantly watched over old Dever, and made sure that his leg was treated.

"You are a good man.", Dever suddenly said.

"So you say before. All of us are going home together, Dever.", Greg assured him.

Dever thought that the Commander took his words too lightly, "People talked about you, we don't hear much about the White Lion here in Ferelden, but, I believe in the good things I heard. I believe that you are a kind hearted man, and I pray that the Maker will watch over you and the path you take."

Ser Greggory smiled, and was touched by his words, "That's very.. I appreciate it, Dever. Thank you."

The Templar then looked forward to the horizon, clear skies above them as the group progressed through. The air was different now, all because of the Dalish Elf who was leading them, "We have to pray for the Herald too, she needs all the support we can give."

….

….

Scanning the figure in front of him,

The man was subtle with his eyes, when he repeatedly glanced over the Orlesian Knight Commander. He was too engrossed over the Templar that he didn't notice little old him.

"Why am I not surprise to see you here, Sparkler?", Varric asked as he appeared beside the slightly startled, and annoyed mage. Yeah, he got him, he thought while giving him a cat like grin.

It was unlike the posh mage to mingle amongst the sick, so Varric suspected something behind it. Sure, the mage could always be here to help, but he got a feeling that there was more to it than that. Then, the dwarf looked at the Orlesian, the heroic Templar was doing what any heroes would do. Still, it was a sweet sight, Varric admitted.

"You're not planning on pushing him off a cliff, just for being 'rude', right?", Varric asked, it sounded more believable after he said it, so he gave Dorian a curious look.

Dorian snorted, "Please, like I'll do all the work myself. Furthermore, 'pushing him off a cliff'? How dull. If it's up to me, I'd come up with a more competent scheme.", he said, sounded offended by the simplicity of it.

Varric shrugged, "True, you do hate getting your hands dirty.", but it didn't tone down his interest in the matter, he wondered what did the Commander do to attract the Tevinter.

Dorian rolled his eyes, when he noticed the dwarf's meddling ways, "Don't you have a book to write, business deals to partake, or whatever it is you do." Dorian said, hoping he would stop pestering him.

"Business isn't very good when you are lost in the middle of nowhere, who would've thought, right? And, who says I'm not working on a book right now? I could use some references to help me out. You see, I'm a little stuck on some romance scenes." Varric said, feeling the dangerous glare from the Tevinter.

"Or maybe, a villainy scene where he plots to make the Hero's death look like an accident. Then after that, he will put all the blame on the handsome and poetic dwarf prince." Varric added, but didn't dismiss the idea. You know how the vints were with their grudges.

Dorian smirked at that, he couldn't keep a straight face with Varric, "The villain must have a wicked sense of fashion."

"Only the most dramatic cape in all Thedas. And, you said I'm not working." Varric grinned, and was glad that he finally loosen up.

However, jokes aside, he really want to know what's going on with the two, "But seriously, why are you spying on the good man?"

"Bored are you, Varric? I'm sure Cassandra is a better candidate than I." Dorian said, hoping he would drop it.

"Don't go there, Sparkler."

"I won't if you won't."

"Fine."

A beneficial deal for both parties, Dorian thought.

Varric decided to drop the topic about the mage's interest with the Templar, and instead, he chose to talk about the guy.

"He seems like a good person. Your typical hero, but the kind that carries a lot of baggages. You know how the Orlesians love their dark secrets." Varric said, feeling good with his theory.

Dorian started to wonder where did Varric came up with the idea, didn't he just said that the Commander was a good guy? Although, he could picture it on the Commander.

"Alright, Varric, I'll bite. What kind of secrets are we talking about here?", The mage asked, feeling both impatient and interested.

"Well, something that goes, 'by the way, I just glow because of some pretty red crystals', that kind of thing.", Varric revealed, making the mage remembered the events inside the Tunnels.

"I may not be an expert on magic, but I've dealt with red Lyrium, sparkler. How he handle himself with the stuff back there, that isn't normal or remotely okay." Varric explained, feeling a bit upset for talking about it, "It doesn't sit well for me."

The Seeker didn't do anything about it, so he sent a spy on him. Varric wanted to believe that he was mistaken, but when the Templar sometimes disappeared without a trace in their camp, he couldn't cast aside his suspicions.

"I understand. I, as well, felt how he controlled the corrupted air around him with such stability." Dorian said, a hand on his chin as he thought on it, "But, there must be a reasonable explanation, we can't forget that he saved us back there." he reasoned, and was sure that the Commander wasn't a demon in disguise.

"Yeah, he did. Him being a hero only makes it more difficult. What's holding him back from telling?" Varric asked.

"I am unsure for now, but how about a wager? On how long it'll take him to confess?" Dorian suddenly suggested, making the dwarf's eyes tingle in both excitement and concern.

"I'll take that bet."

….

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Skyhold Fortress.

After the long punishing journey through the unknown mountains, the people could breathe a lot easier as they rested their cold and tired feet on the warm dirt.

The Herald had done it yet again.

The people believed that nothing was impossible under her leadership, and unmatched determination. She was after all, the Herald of Andraste, the Dalish elf that bear the mark to their salvation, and the one who would stop Corypheus.

No one else could do it, but her. And thus, the people cheered when she rose to be the leader of the Inquisition.

Many believed that the Maker had intended this, that everything had led her here, for she was the chosen one, even if she denied them.

Everyone raised their arms, and cheered for their new Inquisitor,

…

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

"Inquisitor." Greggory greeted as he approached the new Inquisitor, and her fellow companions in the courtyard. He didn't mean to interrupt their discussion, but he had urgent matters that needed her attention.

They all turned towards the Knight Commander. He had been gone without a trace for a couple of years, and when he returned, he brought dire news about Therinfal Redoubt. The Inquisition was worried when they saw the Red Templars, it brought up a lot of questions about the Templar's fate.

But, that discussion was put on hold, because of their treacherous journey through the mountains. Ser Cullen tried to find him, but the Commander was surprisingly hard to find. It was only later that they learned, he had stayed at the back to help the healers.

Ellana noticed how dreadful he looked, worse than the last time they saw each other. His fancy armor was worn and dirty. His shoulder was all patched up too.

"Ser Greggory Cohen, Knight Commander of the Templar order.", he bowed politely to the Inquisitor, "Congratulations, Inquisitor, I have faith that you will lead the inquisition wisely. May the Maker watch over you and the Inquisition.", he respectfully said.

The Inquisitor was impressed by his composure despite his current appearance.

"My name is Ellana, and thank you for your faith, Commander. I hope I won't let anyone down.", she said with a gentle smile before continuing with, "Not all of us would be here without your help, and for that the Inquisition thanks you."

Ellana would want someone like him to join the Inquisition. She heard a lot of good things about him from her advisors, but being in his presence now, she could feel a certain power around him. She couldn't tell what exactly, since she had never met anyone like him before.

When they first met in Haven, she didn't expect how important he was in all of this. But then again, Corypheus didn't give them any time for pleasantries.

Ser Greggory appreciated her acknowledgement, and said, "Anything to help the Inquisition win against this evil."

"Then I take it you will be staying? The Inquisition will need your help, now more than ever." Ellana offered. She had discussed the idea with her advisors, and there were no protests.

"You must, my dear. Or I will be very cross with you.", Vivienne said, but the tone in her voice hinted something to Greggory. He felt her aura was a bit tense, but he didn't look too deep into it for now.

"A tempting offer." he said lightly, and then turned more serious, "But, there are some conditions we need to discuss, Inquisitor."

The Knight Commander had his own people to look out for, he needed them to be safe from Corypheus. And the Inquisition could provide that, "I'm sure, you knew about what happened to the Templars in Therinfal, about the Red Templars."

"Yes, I've been briefed." The Inquisitor nodded.

"But, you've told us so little, Commander. I hope you will share everything with us now.", Cullen joined in, he had no more patience for the truth. He had to know what they have done to the Templars. He could still remember their pained expressions as the red crystals slowly devoured their body. It was horrible.

"I know, Commander. I promise you, I will answer all of your questions, after we take care of this first. This requires your utmost attention.", Greggory proposed and they all listen intently to what he had to say next.

"I was not the only one to escaped Therinfal. There are others.", That piece of information surprised them all.

"There are other survivors?! Where are they now?", Cullen demanded and moved closer to Greggory.

"I ordered them to seek safety in Redcliffe. I couldn't risk bringing them, the Red Templars would have spotted us, before we reached you.", Greggory explained to Cullen, and then rested a hand on his shoulder, "They are safe.", Greggory assured him before parting.

"And, they are more than ready to help the Inquisition. Our numbers may have decrease greatly, but we are still strong enough to raise up our weapons against Corypheus.", Greggory claimed, but couldn't ignore the order's mistakes. "However, it didn't slip my notice that the Templars have made plenty of errors, some were unforgivable. I want to fix the order, we can't afford to repeat the same mistake again."

The people whispered around them as they secretly eavesdropped on the whole spectacle. There were a mix of opinions about it.

"We asked for the Templars before, only to be denied by the Lord Seeker. Is he amongst the survivor?", Ellana asked. Cassandra mentioned how strange the Lord Seeker was acting in Val Royeaux.

"No, he isn't. We.. We don't know what become of him.", Greggory answered, and decided to leave out some details. If they learned about the fake seeker, it would cause panic and endanger his people chances.

Cassandra had been frowning right from the start, she felt conflicted, and Greggory only made it worse with his secretive behaviors. She didn't know what to make of him anymore. She felt her faith in him was slipping away.

His sudden disappearance, his connection with the Red Templars, the events inside the tunnels, and a new problem that Vivienne just brought up about his companion...

"Something you like to say, Cassandra?"

Lady Pentaghast looked at the Inquisitor. She hated to admit, that the big mouthed dwarf was right about her poker face.

Cassandra didn't want to delve into this matter, where the people could hear. She would want to confront him about this personally. She knew that Greggory had changed, but she couldn't believe that he would do anything cruel.

"Nothing, Inquisitor. Please, continue.", Cassandra told them.

Vivienne studied her defeated face, she expected the Right Hand of the Divine would deliver her judgement about what they discussed before. But, it seemed that she was still protective over their dear Lion.

"Mistakes were done by both sides, but that isn't important right now. Corypheus is the real threat." Ellana continued, and looked at the Commander with serious eyes, "I trust that your men won't mind working with the mages? They are a part of the Inquisition, now."

Ellana didn't want this to be a problem in the future. The Commander might disregard their differences and past conflicts, but that didn't mean it apply to the rest of his men. The hate between the two sides hadn't subdued, not one bit.

Then, instead of a straight answer, Ser Greggory moved to take off his helmet. Some would mistake the helmet for his head, since he never took it off in all of their time together.

The Commander took off his headgear, only to reveal a slightly dirty face of an appealing young man. He swiped his blonde hair back, all the while showing no signs of corruption. He preferred to keep his helmet on, but he wanted to show her how earnest he was.

"No, we won't, and I will see to it personally if need to. You have my word, Inquisitor. For what I understand, we have the same cause, the same goal. We need to set aside our problems, if we want to save the world from corruption."

Well said, Ellana thought. She applauded the strength in his voice, it certainly matched his reputation, despite how young he looked. Way younger than she expected, but seeing how rude it would be, she tried to hide her surprise. She had pictured him to be a lot older, an old veteran, or something like that.

Vivienne smiled wickedly, when some were hypnotized by his charming young look, she would be proud if she wasn't upset with Greggory. "And that goes with your demon friend, my dear?"

Solas glared at the enchanter, while the rest stared wide eyed at the accusation.

"Demon?" Ellana said, oblivious to it, even wondered if she had heard that right.

Lady Pentaghast sighed, another problem that put more suspicions on the Commander. She was against the demon, but she didn't want to address this so publicly.

"Inquisitor, I wondered whether Ser Greggory's companion is a mage, given his strange abilities.", Cassandra explained and gesturing to the young man with the big hat not far from where they were. He was picking something on the ground.

She had observed him, it, since Vivienne brought it up. Solas came up with a strong and disturbing theory of what it truly was.

"He can make people to forget him, or fail entirely for people to notice him. These are not an ability of a mage, it seems that Cole is a spirit.", Solas finally spoke up, after he refused to meddle in Templar's affairs.

Vivienne told Cassandra of her suspicions with the Commander's friend after they arrived at Skyhold. Solas decided to say something about it, and tried to explain the truth, even though he saw little chance for them to understand it.

Greggory was a bit taken aback, when Solas knew quite well about Cole, even got his name right. He knew that the elf was an apostate, and had studied the Fade for a long time. The rumors might be true about his knowledge of the realm to surpass any experienced enchanters.

"It is a demon.", Vivienne corrected and glared back at Solas. He ignored her eyes, and tried to hold back a laugh at the ignorant woman, "If you prefer, although the truth is somewhat more complex." Solas replied.

Cullen made sure that his annoyance was heard, "Great, more demons."

"Cole is a spirit.", Greggory declared, he didn't want them to misunderstand, "He is a good spirit, a unique one. Demons need to possess if they want to remain in our world, but Cole did no such thing, I have made sure of it. He..", Greggory then chose his words carefully, "I don't know how, but he appears to be human, and most of all is here to help. I have known him for a very long time, and that I trust him with my life, Inquisitor."

Solas was impressed that the Templar had such tolerance with something beyond his understanding.

"Spirits, demons, anything else we should know about you, Commander?", Dorian smirked as he watched their heated conversation. He had suspected that the Commander would be a peach. A Templar that befriended a spirit. What more secrets did our heroic Commander keep from them, the Tevinter wondered while enjoying his unmasked face from a far.

"You knew, for a long time, and kept it a secret?", Cassandra said in anger.

Greggory look at her sympathetically, it pained him to see the disappointment in her eyes. "I apologize for this, my lady. But yes, I admit it. I met him back in the White Spire. Cole intentions is good, I have been watching and guiding him to make sure that he doesn't do the opposite.", Greggory said, but when he looked at Cole, he wasn't in his spot anymore, although he could feel that he was close by.

"Well, I suggest we let him help.", Solas said as soon as the Inquisitor looked at him.

It annoyed Ellana whenever he knew what she had in mind.

The Dalish had taught her to stay away from both spirit and demon, because there were no difference to them in the end. It was a helpful advice at the time, but then, she would find herself thinking about them. It was Solas, who opened her eyes, to see that the spirit was a lot like them in a way.

The Inquisitor tried to make sense of Cole, seeing how strange that he could take form of a young man, when other spirits failed. Solas offered his own perspective of it, revealing that Cole was, indeed, very unique.

"But, the Commander said that he had lived here before the Conclave. He looks like a young man, for all intents and purposes, he is a young man. It is remarkable.", Solas fascinatedly said.

Greggory welcomed the elf's support, even though his words truly bothered him. Solas was very well-versed in the fade, than any mortal he knew. It was unnerving, that the elf might know a lot more than he let on. He noted to keep a close eye on him, but for now, he needed to ensure Cole's safety.

"Inquisitor, he is a friend, a comrade and a family. I will hold every responsibility over him, and my men, but you can't ask me to abandon any of them.", The Templar said unfaltered, if not a bit intimidating. It showed that nothing could change his mind. "So, what say you?"

Cullen would applaud his loyalty if it weren't so misplaced, "Do you think allowing a would be demon in Skyhold is a good idea, Inquisitor?", he asked as Ellana tried to come up with a decision.

"Aren't we all a loose canon in a way, Commander? The difference is that we have the choice and will to prevent, and in time change that.", Greggory told the other blonde.

Ellana thought that his affection for the spirit was very out of place, yet he would show them so openly. He was a Templar, the very figure that vowed to banish beings like Cole. She wasn't even sure if any of his men knew of this, or even able to accept Cole.

Ellana was concerned, that he didn't seem to care what his relationship with the spirit would do to his reputation. Well, his bravery and loyalty were impressive.

"Thoughts?", She asked her companions.

"You make it very difficult, Commander.", Cassandra said and looked at him with cold eyes. It made Greggory lowered his head, and sighed, "I know. But, I will never betray you.", he said and looked at her with firm eyes.

...

Then, the former Knight Commander added his opinion, "The Templars can help us, but I am unsure with the extra thing that comes with it."

Cassandra crossed her arms, "You've ignored your duties, Commander. You could put others in danger for that. But.. I know you always keep your promises.", The right hand of the Divine simply said, and refused to add anything else or even looked at him.

"I am disappointed that you keep that creature, my dear. However, you are always full of surprises.", Vivienne said.

Solas only nodded at her, he had told them his opinion, he didn't need to repeat himself.

And now it was all up to the Inquisitor, It was just her first hour of becoming the Inquisitor, and she already had a big decision to make. Well, she was used to make others decision for them in the past, so why stop now?

The Inquisitor listened to her heart, and thought that those people would be a great help in fighting Corypheus. And as for the Commander, his heart was in the right place. And she couldn't judge anyone she hadn't met yet.

"Okay.", Ellana said after the pause, giving suspense to the situation.

"Ser Greggory, I welcome you and the Templars to the Inquisition. We will need all the help we can get to win this war. And, I trust that you will keep your promises."

Ser Greggory could feel a big burden have been lifted as she declare her decision to the public. The Commander took a step forward to the elven Inquisitor, and offered a handshake to seal the deal.

"Thank you for this chance, Inquisitor. We shall defeat Corypheus, together." Greg optimistically said and then they parted hands.

….

After the intense decision making,

the Commander shared his plans on reaching his men, and to bring them safely to Skyhold. The Inquisitor was eager to support him, even offered him supplies for the mission.

"Then, I will depart immediately." Greggory told them.

Ellana told him it would be unwise, since they just got here. She suggested, that he should rest for a day before going off to Redcliffe.

With polite words, the Commander refused, and thanked her concerns. He told them, that he could not rest, not while his men were still out there. But before he went, he had something to say to the Inquisitor, a bit privately too.

"I know you are vigilant with spirits, and I understand completely. But, give Cole a chance, talk to him and decide for yourself."

The Inquisitor raised her brow, but accepted Ser Greggory's suggestion. She would like to meet the spirit boy. But, did this mean that Cole would be staying with them while Greggory left for Redcliffe?

...

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

"That was a fun talk."

Greggory looked back, while sitting on his horse, he wondered if he should say something to him before leaving, but it seemed that the man had come to him first.

"Dorian.", Greggory greeted and then said, "Indeed it was. I am relieved that it ended this way." Greg smiled, making the mage's stomach fluttered.

"Yes, a happy outcome for us all, and for your little friend.", Dorian's tone was unreadable. The Templar hoped he hadn't upset him.

"You are no mage, Commander. But, I see you are confident in your friendship with that spirit.", Dorian stated. He didn't mean to make it sound so harsh, he just didn't want him to get hurt over the things he barely accustomed to. He was too kind, he needed to see how dangerous an unbound spirit could be if given the chance.

As Greggory felt his sweet concerns, he came to understand what Dorian was trying to say, "I am aware that spirits can be unstable in our world, but I am not a stranger to magic, Dorian. And Cole is trying to be better." Greg replied, and made the mage looked at him in curiosity.

"You mean he's been worse?" Dorian asked,

"I mean, he is learning. He is still trying to get a grip in our world. And he is honest on wanting to help." Greg explained.

Dorian looked at him like he was the most fascinating specimen in all of his studies, well, he was a fine specimen, but he didn't mean it like that!

This man before him sounded like Solas, Dorian thought. He made it as if he knew about magic and the fade, like he was a mage himself.

"Still, I do suggest extreme caution with Cole, no matter how intriguing he is. Hmmm..", Dorian then pondered over his own words, it was true that he had no idea something like Cole was even possible.

"Of course, I will. I'm sure you and Cole can get along just fine." Greg baited and saw the sparkle in his eyes over the idea.

"We'll see about that.", Dorian sounded like he had accepted a challenge from the cheeky Commander.

"Excuse me, my lord.", A man suddenly get in between them with a bag of supplies, and then started to attach it to the horse.

It reminded Dorian that he was about to leave, reminded him of why he was really here,

"A long journey to Redcliffe, hm? I wish you a safe journey, Commander. I admit, that I will miss your company.", Dorian said, trying to be smooth about it. It was a bit hard, when those blue eyes looked at him. It was a lot easier facing a steel visor.

It might be one of the mage's sarcasm, but Greggory felt happy when he said those words. It was silly how easily his mood was affected by his words alone. He then mocked of how hopeless he sounded right now.

He secured his ponytail before wearing his helmet back, to avoid his cheeks in making him more of a fool.

"As will I, Lord Pavus.", Greg said and bowed in such formality.

Dorian couldn't hold back his smile, he didn't see that one coming, "Really?" he said and shook his head.

"All set, my Lord.", The man announced as he secured the supplies.

"Thank you, my good man. Maker watch over you.", The Commander said, and nodded to the man as he left them.

...

Dorian was nervous, his time was running out. He couldn't miss his chance.

With a deep breath and some bravery from a bottle of alcohol (he was prepared before he got here), he went for it.

"How about that drink after you return? I know you have some good stories to share about your spirit friend. A Templar and a spirit, it is so absurd, I have to know.", Dorian proposed, hoping he would accept his invitation.

It would be a friendly occasion, nothing more than two friends enjoying their drink, and perhaps each other. Dorian wanted to slap himself for that last part.

Greggory sensed that he was serious about it. Sure, the invitation sounded pleasant, and he figured that it could be a chance to make up with him for the Tunnel thing.

"That sounds nice, Dorian. I wouldn't mind a drink.", he agreed to the mage's invitation.

"Of course, it is.", Dorian remarked and felt victorious, "And only the good stuff, I assure you."

"I'll leave it to your good hands.", Greggory said.

Now that the preparations were done, Greggory bid the Tevinter goodbye and then rode off, leaving the ever so confident mage by himself.

….

 _To be Continued_

* * *

 **Oh, if anyone is still wondering about Greggory's age, he's** **27 in the start of DA:I. Maybe 4 years younger than Dorian.**

 **Thank you for the faves, follows and reviews.**

 **See you in the next chap.**


	13. Chapter 13 : What's Left

**Greetings, Lovelies!**

* * *

It was a lazy afternoon that day,

Relaxing tune from the flute made everything seemed to slow down inside the Tavern. People talked and drank with ease, savoring every second until the sun went away.

It was probably the quietest day they had all week.

Although, most of the villagers were used to the strange and/or destructive things that took place around their village. Apostates that went out of control, walking corpses, demons, suffice to say that the villagers of Redcliffe was not easily fazed by the unnatural.

Regardless, the peace was welcoming, and well, preferable.

Everything was starting to return to normal after the breach was gone, not even the arrival of the Templars could change that, and they had arrived weeks ago. However, their presence did create questions, especially with how they looked when they first approached their gates. The group looked like they just stepped out of a fight, and barely won. All of them were very jumpy, and was wary of anyone outside their circle, even the healers.

After the whole catastrophe with the rebel mages, the Arl disliked having any outsiders into the Village. But, he made an exception for the Templars, he let them took shelter as long as they didn't cause any disturbance.

And so they did, the Templars stayed away from trouble, and slowly recovered. After a few days, they were getting better and became a lot more open with the locals. But, despite their recovery, the group didn't show any signs on leaving. There was a rumor that they were waiting for something or someone. And it seemed it's going to be a long wait.

Not that the owner of the Tavern minded, more gold for the establishment.

..

"Jon."

The brunet jerked, he was resting his head on the table, using his arms as a pillow, before someone called out his name. He grudgingly raised his head, eyes lazily looked at the towering figure in front of him.

"Oh, hey Sept. How's your day going?", He asked, then yawned.

The dark haired man saw that Jonathan was all alone with an empty bowl, and a mug on his table. It seemed like he just had his third lunch.

"Fine." Sept shrugged, and took a seat at the empty stool beside the brunet. "I see you're comfortable.", gesturing to his finished meal.

Jon gave a small laugh and said, "Stew, I think… I'm still not sure what that bowl of mess suppose to be, but it served its purpose. At least, the ale is adequate."

Sept nodded, he too wasn't used to the local's cuisine. However, judging by Jon's big empty bowl, it seemed that the stew had more than served its purposes.

"You're too comfortable. And fatter."

Jon looked offended, but Sept kept talking,

"We need to get those stew and their purposes far away from you."

"Alright, alright, the food is good. And I might have a bit too much there." Jon said in defeat. The stew did look unappetizing, it's like they just put everything inside the pot, and cooked them, but the taste! He couldn't deny his enjoyment after the first bite.

Come to think of it, he could go for another one in fact.

"A bit?", Sept retorted, "Shape up or we'll leave you behind, when Greg returns. I'm not rolling your fat belly throughout the journey."

Septom's tone didn't make it sound like he was joking, but Jon knew him too well. Classic old Sept, he thought. "Oh come on! We all know you can't leave me, well, at least Greg won't.", then Jon stuck out his tongue at the other Templar.

"We'll see.", Sept boredly said, and signaled for the barmaid. He might need a drink or two before he could continue with this conversation.

"What can I get you, handsome?" The barmaid said. But, before he could open his mouth, the front door suddenly swung opened.

It was another patron, a new face to the sleepy Tavern, and also the Village. It took him just one step to draw everyone's attentions.

The newcomer looked like he had travelled a long way, it showed from the dark circles under his eyes, and the little bit of snow on his coat, melting away in seconds.

The two brothers stared at the newcomer, along with the rest of the Templars in the room. All of their faces were unreadable, but it brought the possibilities that things about to get a little exciting.

"Is that him?"

One of the brothers whispered as the newcomer walked towards their table.

The two Orlesian Templars quickly stood up to face him, both of them were sure of the newcomer's identity.

"Did I make you wait?", The newcomer asked and was ready for their anger.

The afternoon proved to be a lot more energetic as soon as the brunet launched himself to hug the young blond man.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

This place had seen better days, he thought while trying to find anything appealing to see. He wrinkled his nose, when he couldn't ignore the foul air any longer.

To think that people used to live here, he thought as he walked past what used to be a Chantry.

They said that the place used to be so lively. Travellers came from various places, Denerim, Redcliffe and even Orzammar. Either they wanted to trade or to seek temporary shelter.

History had informed him that the village of Lothering had seen its fair share of battles. The most notable ones was from the Rebellion. And, it always endured and was able to bounce back from them all. But, not this time, he thought.

The Blight was something completely different, something that no one could simply recover from. He wrinkled his nose harder as the stench got worse, finally he gave up and covered his nose with his handkerchief.

The Blight was stopped by the Hero of Ferelden, but it never left Lothering. It had scarred its land, giving no hope for life to ever returned again. The villagers had tried everything to change that, but alas, nothing worked.

The people started to lose faith, and soon abandoned the Village. A few times they had to assign someone new to take care of the Village's rotting problems.

Then at the corner of his eyes, he saw a small red dot amongst the rotting plants. He turned to investigate, and felt his lips quirked when he saw the small rose. It was a tiny thing, yet bloomed beautifully, even when death had surrounded it.

Oswald bended down to touch the rose, "Lothering will recover, I'm sure. Life always finds a way."

The Templar then left the rose alone. He stood up and looked at the corruption in its land once more. "Yes, time and care will heal you." he whispered.

"Excuse me, my Lord. I got what you asked.", someone spoke beside him.

Oswald turned to the man, he was one of the workers there. He was offering the Templar a green bottle. Oswald accepted the old bottle, and inspected the water it held. He took a small vial of liquid from his satchel, and poured its content into the bottle, mixing them together.

"My thanks. And here.", The Templar rummaged through his pocket and then gave the man a small bag. It made a clunk sound as it landed on the worker's hand, he had to use both hands to hold it.

"Something to help with the rebuilding. Say, who's in charge for this noble task? I'd love to help if I can.", Oswald asked and then took note of the name that came out of the worker.

He wanted to bring Lothering back into the map, not as a ghost town, but as it was before the Blight came. He wanted to aid them in anyway he could.

True, that the doomed Village held no value for him. He was an Orlesian, and this was his first time here. The land had nothing that could benefit him or his family.

But, this was his Commander's home. A brother whom he cherished very much. Oswald couldn't accept how cold the Maker was with Greggory, he had nothing but goodness in him.

He lost his village and his friends to the Blight. He lost his father in such a disgraceful way. And not stopping there, the Conclave happened.

Oswald sighed as he walked towards his brothers, the bottle in hand.

Greg had arrived in Redcliffe yesterday, bringing great news to what's left of the Templars. The remaining Templars showed their loyalty, when they all agreed to wait for Greg. And they didn't hesitate to follow him to the Inquisition when he asked. Like him, all of them believed that Greg could save the Order from its mistakes.

Personally, Oswald saw that the order was no more. They had abandoned their duties as soon as they left the Chantry to play War. Then, the Conclave had destroyed their shields, and left them wide open for the Elder One to deliver the finishing blow. It was a depressing thought, so he kept it to himself.

Perhaps, alongside the Inquisition, the Templars would make amends and be stronger than ever. Together, they would thwart the Elder One's evil plans.

But, before they indulged themselves into all of those adventures, Os and his fellow brothers had planned something for their Commander. Before, Greg could give out the order to march for the Inquisition, they convinced him to visit his old home. They all agreed that he needed to make peace with his old Village, before facing any new problems.

..

Oswald looked at the blond, their Commander, his brother.

Os wasn't used to see him make such a heartbreaking expression. He usually looked untouchable, distant with his emotions. But that changed, after his father's funeral. Mr. Cohen's death broke something in him, and he wasn't the same ever since.

"There you are, Os. You always disappear on us, old man.", Septom joked when he spotted the browned haired Templar.

"Trying to find your self esteem, child. It took a while, but I still can't find it." Os replied. He knew that he was the eldest amongst the four, but he wasn't that old. Septom always knew how to tick him off.

His other brothers were amused by their usual jape. Jon was quick to ask when he saw the bottle, which Os handed to Greggory.

"Water from the river not far, I've mixed it with holy water. I thought we could spread it around your old house.", Os explained. "The workers said that the river was the first to show some recovery from the decay."

"That's a great idea!", Jon said, he was all in with it.

Greggory seemed to warm up with the idea. He nodded, and went to the pile of rubbles near them. He opened the bottle, and felt his chest tighten.

The Commander took a deep breath, it was suffocating to see his old village like this.

This was their home, he thought as he looked at the pile of debris in front of him. He turned his head slightly to the left, where there was another pile of runned down house. That was Fara's home, he thought as his heart felt heavy..

"Keep it together, Greg.", he thought as he closed his eyes, trying to suppress his sadness for the loss of his dearest friend and sister. But, all of his restraints were destroyed when he felt a hand on his back.

"Just let it all out, brother."

Greg felt a tear escaped his closed eyes, when Jon said those words and rubbed his back in comforting circles. The brothers stood in silence as their leader wept, hands shakily holding the green bottle.

Greggory watched the liquid inside the bottle, remembering the river along with the memories there. He remembered the bright smile from that little girl whose dress was drenched, and covered in mud.

"You are safe now, little Fara." he whispered. His brothers could feel his pain when they heard it.

Greggory took another deep breath, and then wiped his tears. Shortly after, he began to spread the water on the land,

"Maker, Andraste, bless this land once more. Cleanse it from the Blight's corrupted touch. Let life flourish once more, and let them flourish forever.", Greg said as he kept pouring the water until it was empty. He put the bottle next to the debris, and then searched for something inside his bag. He took out the old thing, a keepsake.

It was Fara's doll, her favorite one. She never left her house without it. Yet, she was willing to part with it, when he was about to leave the Village for Orlais.

Greg looked at the old withering white bunny.

"Here! Miss Carrots comes with you. Miss Carrots doesn't want you to go alone. She will protect you. I ask her to."

He put the rabbit on the stone, letting it sat in the middle of the rubbles. "I'm sorry for breaking my promise, Fara."

..

..

..

"Thank you for this. I feel a lot better now.", Greg finally said.

The bottle stood alone as the evening light reflected on its glass. The four Templars was not far from it, sitting on the stones while enjoying the evening skies together.

"You need to think for yourself once in a while, Greg.", Jon said and was followed by Septom's snort, "You know it's impossible for him to do that. That's why he needs us to push him around, isn't that right, golden boy?"

Greg shook his head, and laughed, "And I am grateful for that."

Another minute had passed as they sat there, and just enjoyed the breeze. They were starting to get used to the stench, hoping there wouldn't be any side effects.

Things had gotten a lot quieter after the workers finished their work and were preparing to head home.

"I miss Evangeline.", Jon suddenly said.

"Still not over her, are you?", Os teased, but also felt worry for their fiery Captain's fate, despite the stories he heard. "I don't think she attend the Conclave, not after what she has done."

"I'm sure, she's doing what's right. I just hope that she is alright, wherever she is.", Jon mused.

Greg only nodded, decided not to share what he knew about it. He didn't really know how to tell them about what happened in the White Spire. He didn't know how to explain Cole to them.

How could he, when he couldn't even tell them about his other half.

Which, made him thought about his own future.

The human in him had bigger influence than his spirit side, but, he noticed how the world insisted on reminding him of his other persona.

The events in Therinfal, for example. He knew he couldn't keep relying on Cole to save him. He could hurt others, he might...

"You feeling okay there?", Os asked when Greg suddenly turned pale, Jon and Sept were looking at him too.

Greg wanted to lie to them, but his mind told him that they should know the truth, before it's too late. However, he felt his courage diminished after he wondered of how they would react.

"I'm... thinking about something.", Greg said, the words sounded heavy in his voice. He looked up to the skies with tired eyes, "Tell me, brothers, will you ever forgive me, if I have been lying to you about my real self?", Greg asked and sounded nervous, he didn't meet their eyes as he asked.

The three Templars looked at each other in confusion, none of them could tell what brought up that question.

Septom eyed him carefully, "You're not the one behind the Conclave, are you?", he said and made Greg quickly corrected him.

"Maker, no!" Greg said defensively.

"Are you working for the Elder One?", Jon added, and again Greg denied that.

"Then, there's no problem. Not everything about us is all rainbow and sunshine. We got our own secrets and demons.", Sept said, making it clear for Greggory.

"I know you will never hurt us, intentionally.", Jon said with a nervous grin.

"We know that you'll always fight for what's right, Greg. It's okay to have a little attitude in the side.", Os said with a playful tone.

Greggory felt embarrassed, he didn't expect those answers. It made him really wanted to come clean with them, but of course, he decided otherwise.

"Thank you, brothers. I want to make it clear that all of you are like a family to me. Please, don't forget that." Greg confessed.

The three couldn't crack a joke if they wanted. They started to get curious on what could their Golden boy hid from them, but then chose to believe in him like they always do, and promised to him that they wouldn't forget.

And that he was also a family to them.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

"Welcome back, Ser Greggory.", The Commander of the Inquisition greeted, and shook the Knight Commander's hand. A big smile had been plastered on his face since the news of their arrival. The same could be said for the other two advisers behind him.

The army that showed up in front of their doorsteps had raised everyone's morale, even some of the mages too. The familiar, but untainted, armors of the Templar was refreshing to see.

Ser Greggory returned his smile, "Thank you for having us, Commander.", he sounded his appreciation as his people were welcomed inside the fortress.

The two blondes parted their hands, and Greggory started to compliment on how different Skyhold looked now, it was a formidable fortress that could rival one of the greatest fort in Orlais.

Ser Cullen told him that they had done some repairs and received plenty of help from the Inquisition's supporters. "It's great to see people working together again, to set aside their opinions for the right thing." Cullen said, and then helped the Inquisition's new ally settled in.

..

..

"I see, the Inquisitor have left for Crestwood. A shame, that I cannot join her and the others.", Greg said to the three advisors around the War table.

No wonder the place seemed a bit lonely when they arrived, even Cole went with them. He hoped the spirit would be alright on his own.

"But, what's there in Crestwood?", the Commander asked.

And so, The left hand of the divine, Lady Nightingale herself, spoke on the others behalf, and briefed him on what the Orlesian Knight Commander had missed.

"That is a chilling news." Greg said,

"Now, he wants the Wardens? Why am I not surprise?", Ser Oswald stated. He was ordered by the Knight Commander to accompany him in their discussion with the advisers.

"Yes, It is concerning how ambitious he is. And, it does put the Wardens in a very dangerous position, to associate with the enemy.", Josephine stated.

"I'm sure, we will be able to prevent Corypheus from controlling the Wardens." Leliana optimistically said, earning an affirmative nod from Lady Montilyet.

"And now we have the Templars with us.", The Antivan adviser added.

"I quite agree with Lady Montilyet. This is another victory for the Inquisition." Cullen said.

The mood in the room was pleasant, alas, they knew this was a ruse to prepare them for a more sensitive topics. Which had been postponed for weeks.

Ser Greggory understood what must be done, and so he started, "I take it you have gone through the evidence we recovered from Therinfal?"

"It was a troubling reading. But, it did confirm us on Corypheus intention on assassinating the Empress.", Leliana stated.

"You knew about this?", Ser Oswald asked, sounded impressed.

"We have assumptions, and now we have a solid evidence to prove it.", Leliana said with a smirk, "It won't be long before we uncover more about his plans."

The advisors tried to connect the Wardens with the assassination, and that only brought up more questions and awful scenarios. So far, nothing was certain.

"These other letters, I take it they use the red lyrium to change the Templars. But, what did they mean about studying the Lord Seeker, imitating him?" Cullen asked, this one letter had bothered him immensely.

Ser Oswald's expression turned grim, but it was his calm Commander that answered the question. He promised them, didn't he. They deserved the truth, and he trusted them to use this information wisely.

So, he and Oswald told them everything, right from the beginning. The room was quick to heat up as the Orlesians finished their stories.

The advisors weren't prepared for the truth. They were shocked after the Templars told them about their disappearance, the envy demon, and what the treatments entailed.

"Maker, I can't imagine what those poor people have gone through. To be forced to such..." Lady Montilyet said, and couldn't make herself finish her sentence, but everyone understood and shared her feelings about it.

The Commander was telling them the truth, when he didn't know what became of the real Lord Seeker.

"If he is alive, he'll be working with Corypheus.", Cullen said in annoyance and then looked at the Orlesians, "Tell us the truth, Commander, do you think the Templars are free from the Red Lyrium?"

Ser Cullen didn't want to doubt or to endanger his fellow brothers and sisters. He had seen the horrors of magic, and the Templars always suffered for it. He couldn't forget the events in his old circle in Ferelden and Kirkwall. But, he also couldn't risk the Inquisition.

"All of us are clean from the vile Lyrium. And, we will be more prepared the next time we encounter them. Corypheus won't trick us again." Ser Greggory answered in full confidence.

"Then, there will be no problem for the Inquisition to keep the Templars under close surveillance, for a few days, until we are certain.", Cullen replied, feeling no joy for this.

It was an unfair request, but understandable, Ser Greggory considered. "It won't be a problem." and then gestured to the other Orlesian, "And, I will be assigning Ser Oswald to represent the Templars."

Both the advisors and Ser Oswald himself were surprised by the unexpected decision, "What are you doing, brother? You are more suitable for that position than I.", Oswald whispered to him, yet loud enough for the others to hear.

"No, you are up for the task, Ser Oswald. They will follow you, and I trust that you will do an outstanding job.", Greg said.

Oswald wanted to protest, feeling like he didn't deserve it, but he couldn't make himself question the Commander when he looked at him. There was a power of authority in his eyes that made Os obeyed.

"I will give it my all, Commander. Thank you for this chance." Ser Oswald said and saluted.

"Good, then any issues with the Templars can be discussed with me or Ser Oswald.", The Orlesian Knight Commander declared.

"Then, you have plans in traveling with the Inquisitor, Commander? Correct me if I'm wrong.", The left hand of the divine suddenly guessed, making sense of his action on giving the leadership of the Templars to another.

"Sharp as always, my lady. Yes, I will be more helpful to the Inquisitor out there than here. If she so chooses to accept my aid." Greg answered.

"Hmm, there will be opinions, but more good than bad, I suppose.", Lady Montilyet added. "The nobles will certainly adore your return in the Inquisitor's side, Commander."

..

Seeing that they had been going on about various things for hours, the advisors finally let the two Templars to have some time to rest.

Ser Cullen asked that he could speak with the Commander in his office tomorrow before the two exit the war room.

"That was an interesting talk." Cullen said, he was worn out after hours of the intense meeting. "I feel bad for doing nothing when he, and his team were reported missing for months."

"Myself as well, Cullen." Leliana followed, "The Venatories hid their tracks well, and I was distracted in finding the Hero of Ferelden and Hawke."

"I know how it feel to be trapped under that kind of imprisonment, it was something you can never forget. But, do you think we can hold on to his words?" Cullen asked, his past experiences told him to be vigilant to anyone who had been held hostage by mad mages.

"His close bond with Cole complicates it, but I trust him." Lady Leliana sounded her opinion. Cole hadn't done anything demonic and he was trying to help, for now.

"Lady Lavellan seems to favor Cole, and the Commander's decision to take things personal will increase our reputation exquisitely. His return as an ally to the Inquisition will be the talk of the week." Lady Montilyet passionately explained, clearly eager for this. "I can't wait how the Royal families will react.", she said a bit giddy.

"Huh, he is that important? I've known him from work, but nothing about his personal life." Cullen started to get curious.

"He was a boy, when the Duke introduced him to the nobles. He proved that he didn't need the Duke's shadow to be a good player in the Game. Greggory would make a successful politician in Orlais, but in the end, he chose the Templars.", Lady Leliana smiled and was glad that he hadn't change.

"That reminds me, I will arrange supplies to help the Templars be more comfortable in their new home. The Commander and his companions deserve a warm meal and a comfy bed after what they've been through.", Lady Montilyet suggested and started to write a list of stuff in her scroll.

 _to be continued..._

* * *

 **Thank you for reading yet another chapter.**

 **Again, much love to you for leaving faves, follows and reviews!**

 **Until next chap, lovelies!**


	14. Chapter 14 : Western Approach

**ENJOY, LOVELIES.**

* * *

"I trust there are no complaints from the Templars, Commander?", her voice was stern. She had been giving the Commander's the cold shoulders ever since her return from Crestwood.

Cassandra Pentaghast leaned, and rested her back on the wall, her arms crossed while glaring at the man in front of her. She wanted to frighten the man, using her ability to make him nervous. The Seeker couldn't tell if it was working or not, the Commander was calm as always. But, she was sure that he could read her mood, and where this conversation was going.

The Seeker found no pleasure in treating him like this. He's a friend, but that could change easily, depending on how the next hours would play out.

Greggory followed her to the empty part of the battlements, after she requested to speak to him in private. This was the first time they talked, after he left for Redcliffe. Alas, they didn't part on such a good term.

"They are content and in good spirits, my lady. Knight Templar Oswald have arranged new assignments in order to keep them busy and productive.", Ser Greggory said, casually standing beside Cassandra. He was aware that she's not happy with him, and he knew this talk of theirs would turn into one of her interrogation soon.

"No trouble with the mages, then?", Cassandra asked with the same tone and a deeper frown.

"The wound is still open, but there haven't been any disaster, so far. I heard the meeting between both leaders had gone well too. I didn't attend, but Commander Cullen and Lady Leliana were present.", Ser Greggory told her, and guessed that she already knew about the meeting. The Seeker nodded, and told him that she was glad of how it ended.

"Lady Cassandra, we haven't got the chance to catch up. How have you been?", Greg sincerely said. They were good friends, and he hoped he could fix the damage he had done to their friendship.

"Ignore him, Cassandra.", She thought, telling herself not to let her guard down. She couldn't trust him, not before he explained himself.

She never imagined that she would put him in such position, him, The White Lion of Orlais, her dear friend. He was a righteous and kind hearted man, the words suspect and traitor didn't suit him at all. But, many things had changed since the mages left the Chantry, so she couldn't rule him out.

"We have a lot to talk about. You, have a lot to tell me.", Cassandra demanded, she could feel her frustration now, "Explain what happened in the Tunnels."

She wanted him to prove her suspicions wrong, but after Cole and the truth behind his disappearance, he only gave her more reason to suspect.

"Ah, that.", Greggory honestly forgot about that, the pain from the lyrium must have fogged his memory. Then, he realized that it must have bothered her so much, that she avoided him after Haven. "And then Cole happened. I may have made things worse for myself, haven't I?", Greg thought and rubbed the back of his neck. He needed to make it right with her.

"I swear to you that I am not with the enemy. You know how I feel about the war, I would want the Conclave to be a success, Cassandra. But, I admit there have been complications along the way.", Greg confessed.

"Tell me everything." Cassandra pushed.

..

..

And so, Greggory told her about his disappearance first. But this time, he was a lot more open with her than the Advisors.

Cassandra listened with great interest on how they escaped the Venatories. She looked at him in horror, when he told her that the Venatories tried to bind them with demons. She was sure that he didn't tell this part to the advisors.

Greggory defended that their attempts had failed, so he didn't see the need to bring it up. He didn't want that information to backfire on the Templars.

The Seeker disliked that, but allowed him to continue with his arrival in Therinfal Redoubt. He started with their suspicions with the Templars inside the Fort, and then the betrayal. The Templars were tricked, and experimented on.

"I should have mentioned this, but they did the treatment on me too.", Gregory confessed.

Cassandra feared for this, she had guessed that something like that would happen. "So, that's what the Venatori meant in the Tunnels. The treatment failed, you resisted the red lyrium, and escaped.", Cassandra stated her prediction.

"I resisted it, and along with Cole's help, we freed the others and took over the fort. The corruption have left me, and I am doing everything that I can to fix back the Order." Greg said, there was a crack in his voice. The blonde man lowered his head, "I should have seen through their deceptions, I could have done something to prevent their deaths."

"Nothing we can do about it now.", Cassandra interrupted, and lowered her arms. Their eyes locked onto each other. He's right, Cassandra thought, those radiant blue eyes were as pure as it was before.

"And you are here with us to undo those errors."

Suddenly, a new voice appeared from behind the Seeker. Greggory was surprised, when he saw the elven Inquisitor.

"I..Inquisitor? What is going on?" Greg asked, blatantly confused.

He looked from the Inquisitor, and then to Cassandra, feeling rather uneasy. Usually, he would sense anyone around him, but the Inquisitor was different.

He could sense her, he could sense her all over Skyhold. The anchor in her hand was very strong, and its essence had spreaded all over the place, making it difficult to actually locate her with all of the distraction. It didn't help when she always ran around the Fortress.

"I asked the Inquisitor to listen in to our conversations, so she can give her judgement, when I cannot.", Cassandra said and gained back Greg's attention.

Inquisitor Lavellan was touched by their bond. It's unexpected to see how much Cassandra cared, and wanted to protect the Commander. "You need to help me decide, Inquisitor. I cannot see him as the enemy, you need to be there too.", she remembered her words.

"Sorry for this.", The Inquisitor said as she walked to them. "You would have said it differently, if I was present."

"You caught me at a disadvantage here, ladies." Greg said, but gave them a gentle smile, "But, this isn't necessary, I would have told you the truth either way."

Suddenly, Cassandra punched his shoulder, "Like how truthfully you told the advisors?" She said, very annoyed.

Greggory reasoned with her, that he didn't want the Templars to suffer because of him. "Nevertheless, you are right, as always. There is no excuse.", Greg then moved a bit closer to the Seeker, their gaze for each other were strong, "I am sorry for keeping the truth from you. I know I don't deserve your loyalty.", Greg said. He was sure that Cassandra kept the events inside the Tunnels away from the public to protect him. She was looking out for him, even now when she asked for the Inquisitor's aid. "I'll make it up to you, Cassandra."

The Seeker sighed in defeat, he could never resist that look, "I.. I apologize too. I know it's been tough for you. It's good having you back, Greggory."

Ellana eyes sparkled by the display, thinking that the two looked so precious.

Cassandra cleared her throat, when she realized the audience. The two made some distance even though the Inquisitor protested.

"I believe in Ser Greggory.", Ellana cheerfully said, "The Templars told me about how you saved them, and how you defeated that demon. It's remarkable.", She complimented and then continued, "I'm glad that you decided to join our little team. I hope you are prepared for our travel to Western Approach?"

Cassandra shook her head, while Greg showed his enthusiasm for the journey. He eventually proceeded to tell them about an unbelievable story, where he tracked down a group of apostates there. They did some bizzare rituals involving someone's undergarments inside one of the abandoned mines.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Western Approach,

The forces of the Inquisition rode together towards their camp location. It had been a long and treacherous journey through the mysterious desert. Scout Harding, their scout and escort, had informed them that it wouldn't be much further.

"It's thin here. Spirits were here even without the rifts.", Cole said, wobbling a bit on his horse, he was getting good at it.

"No wonder something feels out of place.", Ellana said.

Inquisitor Ellana Lavellan was at the front line, leading the rest with Scout Harding beside her. She wanted to focus on the path, but she couldn't stop glancing at the spirit, squinting whenever he wobbled. She took note to add another hour in his riding lesson.

"Stupid sun, piss off!", Sera suddenly hissed at the sky.

"This is when I appreciate learning the magic to prevent sunburn on a bald head. I can cast it for you, Sera." Solas offered, after he had done chuckling at the other elf's dismay.

The mischievous archer quickly made a disgusted expression on her face, "Don't you start. Just.. Just shut it!", Sera said in annoyance, while Solas only shrugged.

"Sera, dear, do kindly accept Solas's proposal. No one should endure the pain from your constant whining."

Sera glared daggers at the Madame, who was cozily sharing her parasol with the new guy. The Templar was holding the black parasol as they ride side by side, both heads were protected from the sun.

"Pffbbttt!", Sera stuck out her tongue at Vivienne, "You two look stupid! And, why are you carrying her umbrella?! Aren't you a Templar?", Sera asked, and pointed at them.

She approved when the Templars joined them, more people to keep things normal, she thought. But then, their leader started to get all chummy with the she-devil.

"Knight Commander Greggory, please to meet you.", Greg said ever so welcoming, but still securing both of their heads under the shade.

"It's a parasol, my dear.", Vivienne said, annoying the elf further. Then, she brushed off the dimwitted elf, and turn to Greggory, "Don't mind her, Commander. I apologize for Sera, if it were up to me, I wouldn't bring such embarrassment to represent the Inquisition. Now, about that party Lord.."

Greg felt bad for Sera, but the enchanter insisted that they returned to their previous gossips. The others were amused, some didn't like how insensitive Vivienne's words were. But, all of their attention turned to the scout, when she announced that they had arrived.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

"Fascinating." Greg mused, as the Inquisitor closed the rift with the anchor.

After they left camp, it didn't take long to encounter the rift. Greggory could feel the familiar air, it was drawing him in. But of course, it didn't weaken the strength in his strike as another demon appeared from it.

The rift was feeding his spirit with energy, the closer he get, the stronger his other half was. He made good use of the added strength, but when the power was getting too intense, he quickly made some distance. The last thing he wanted was to draw attention to himself, or risked the unpredictable outcome from being exposed to the fade.

With one last gesture, the Inquisitor made the small tear disappeared, severing the Commander's connection to his other home.

"You'll get used to it." Dorian said.

The Commander put away his sword and shield, "I can understand why Corypheus wanted it.", then he looked at the mage, "You alright?"

Dorian liked the attention, even if the Commander was being his goodyself, "I am, kind of you to ask. What about you? Your shoulder getting better?"

The mage noticed that he was more fluid in his movement now. There was no awkward pause, and no tension when he swung around his weapon. His performance would make any demons tremble.

"It is." Greg said, blushing. He thought that the mage had forgotten, turned out he didn't. Now it made sense why the mage would sometimes checked on him. "Glad I listen to you, Dorian. I'll have to do that more often.", the Commander said.

Listen to anything I say, Commander? Dorian thought but didn't dare to say the things in his mind. Not that he had the time, they heard that the group was about to move out. The two followed the Inquisitor, but never left each other's side.

..

..

The group stumbled upon what seemed to be cages. A package there told them that someone else was adventuring around the desert. Varric didn't like the idea, there shouldn't be anyone here, but the Grey Wardens.

However, they discovered more prove that there were other parties, present and was doing something sinful around the desert. Ellana told the team to stay vigilant, and it was needed when they approached an entrance to a mine. The place looked deserted, but there was something inside the place that rubbed Greggory the wrong way.

"We should investigate, Inquisitor. Something doesn't feel right.", Greg said, then a familiar corruption hit him when he took another step towards the mine.

"Death. Corruption." Cole said.

And it was. They entered the mine, and followed down the tunnel until they were welcomed by corpses and red lyrium crystals.

"More death, someone have a lot to answer for.", Blackwall said in anger. Solas looked at the lifeless bodies, feeling sympathy for them, "Who did this?"

Greggory could hear their song, he remembered how warm and painful their embrace were. Although, it mattered little to him now, he was able to resist them way better than before. He thanked the Maker, that he didn't have to deal with the headache anymore.

As soon as his sight left the red crystals, he then noticed the look from two worried parties over his interest towards the evil lyrium.

Ellana and Cassandra watched the Commander closely, making sure that he would not be a problem. So, when he gave them a knowing nod and assured them he was fine, the two women felt relieved.

"You sure, cub? Won't want you going all freaky on us." Varric suddenly appeared behind him.

Greg raised his brow at the nickname, and then remembered, the charismatic dwarf was also there in the Tunnels. He could detect fear from him, an expected response since the dwarf had no good memories with the tainted lyrium.

Greg ignored the bizarre nickname, and told him that he was fine. Varric shrugged, and casually asked for his permission to cripple him if he suddenly turned red on them.

..

The more they explored the mine, the less they liked it.

"Look, there are crystals growing out of him.", Cassandra said, as she inspected the body on the table. There was an eerie looking device above him.

"They are changing these people into Red Templars, or something similar.", Greggory assumed.

"Hrm, I think these people are abducted, like in the letters. Those monsters..", Blackwall said bitterly.

"That is just messed up." Bull exclaimed in horror.

"The letter said they went to Emprise du lion.", Ellana said as she read the letter one more time. Then, Greg told her where the place was.

"Creators, I fear more innocent lives will be at risk if we let them continue. We'll have to check that place out after we are done here.", She said, keeping the letters into her bag.

She wanted to show Cullen these letters. The "S" in the letters could only mean the former Templar, Simon. "I have a bad feeling about this."

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

At the Inquisition second camp,

The team rested their feet for a while, since their supplies were running out. It had been quite an eventful day, with more troubles as they explored the silent desert. Most of those troubles were the Venatories.

Ellana looked at the horizon, at the keep not far from their location. The documents, they recovered, quickly led them here, to the Griffon Wing Keep. It's an outpost built by the Grey Wardens.

The professor told them much about the Venatories inside the keep, along with their mission. They definitely needed to be kicked out, permanently. And there should be enough time before Stroud and Hawke arrived to meet them here.

"They are eager on repairing the keep.", Blackwall said while he stood beside the Inquisitor. "It sickens me, Inquisitor. The keep is built for a noble purpose, and they tainted it, those fools."

Blackwall was always so reserved, but his displeasure was well placed. The fanatic cult needed to be erased from Thedas, but for now, they would have to settle with taking over the keep and stop their pursuit of the dragon. One archdemon was enough, thank you very much.

..

..

He looked over to where the elven woman stood with the warden, guessing that they would move out soon.

After he had done cleaning his sword, Greggory had another swig from his water bottle. He knew it would get dirty again, but he couldn't stand the smell from the last hyena he killed. The beast was charging towards Cassandra, but missed and headed for him instead.

He wondered what the creature ate to make such odor.

Suddenly, Greg felt someone's presence, he peeked to his side and saw a very tall shadow.

It's the Qunari, he was taking a seat right next to him, grunting as his bum landed on the stone. Greg would never get tired of seeing his kind. They were still new to him, and It's not everyday he could sit next to one in a friendly manner. The ones he met always kept their distance, or tried to chop him off with an axe.

"Something wrong? You're so tense there, Greg.", Iron Bull asked, acting very familiar with the Templar. He leaned forward to inspect the blade the other was holding. Greg blinked as those horns came into view, he awed at them while telling himself not to do anything stupid.

"That's a nice sword, what is it? Silverite? No, the color is different.", Bull asked again, he didn't even let Greg answer the first one.

The Templar read the Qunari's aura, he felt that he was intrigued, curious intent coming out of him. He guessed that it was reserved for him, and not his sword. He heard that Iron Bull was a spy before he left the Qun, so naturally him being new to the team would interest him.

"It's veridium. This one is a gift.", Greg told him, and gave an experiment thrust, making the sun reflected on its smooth metal.

"Uh huh, so a gift before or after you join the Templar?", Bull asked, slowly directing the topic towards the one he wanted.

Greg told him it was after he took his vow as a Templar. It's been with him ever since.

"I bet the story of you becoming a Templar is a great one, so, come on, Greg. No need to be shy around me, I know I can be very intimidating.", Bull playfully said as he subtly flex his muscles, and it didn't go unnoticed when his voice went a bit husky at the last part.

Greg smirked, "I'll believe it when I see it, Iron Bull."

That made Bull laughed, and slapped Greg's back playfully, "I like you, Greg. But c'mon, I really want to hear the story."

Greg straighten his back, he didn't anticipate the slap. He admired his strength, even if he was playing around.

"One of the Knight Templar referenced me to the White Spire, I did a satisfying performance as a recruit, and not long after, I took my vows. Then, my official duties as a Templar..", Greg stopped when Bull interrupted, "You left out so much details! What about the Chevallier?"

"I see, you've done some research.", Greg said, giving a knowing look under his helmet. It made Bull scratched his head and smiled, "Hey, you can't blame me. You have to admit that you look like a character that came from one of Varric's novels."

Somewhere in the camp, one dwarf sneezed.

The Commander saw that as a compliment. And, could agree with the Qunari that some parts of his life was a tad bit extravagant. Not that it was normal to begin with, he thought. "People like to exaggerate. I was a boy who wanted to be a Templar, I saw the opportunity, and like any other men, I took it.", Greg told him.

Humble, Bull thought and then said, "Hmm, I don't think they exaggerate about you and the Duke, or maybe the Empress?", Bull nodged, and sounded his approval.

"As I say before, there was an opportunity. And Orlais loves daring boys with big dreams.", Greg said and was glad when a distraction appeared behind the muscled Qunari. He didn't waste time to greet that distraction.

"There you are, Cole."

Bull's eye went wide as he looked behind his shoulder. The tough Qunari flinched in surprise, when the young rogue just appeared out of nowhere. He forgot how light his steps were. It's not helping when he was all jumpy, because they had been dealing with demons all day. "Cole. What did I tell you about creeping up behind me.", Bull sounded exhausted rather than angry.

"You don't like it?", Cole innocently said, but Greg was sure, the other spirit couldn't possibly forget, unless, he did it on purpose.

Then, he noticed Bull started to relax as he lectured Cole about his behaviors, it was like he was treating Cole like a kid that had done something rude.

The Commander was worried for a second, but he realized he didn't need to interfere. He watched them fondly, and felt proud of Cole's improvements. To think that he regretted telling them about him. He should have put more faith in the other spirit and the Inquisitor.

"Don't you have anything to say to him? You're responsible for him, right?", Bull joked, and tried to keep a straight face. Greg shrugged, playing along.

"B..But, you are not mad at me.", Cole said, both confused and a bit panic if he had truly offended Iron Bull.

"I'm just kidding, kid." Bull said, and patted Cole's hat.

"Having fun?"

All of them looked up to the Tevinter, a devious smirk on his face as he crossed his arms.

Dorian didn't know why, but there was something annoying from the Qunari's grin. His one eye beamed with mischief as soon as he set his sight on him.

"Dorian! Join us, the more the merrier.", Bull cheerfully said, and signaled him to come closer.

Dorian looked unimpressed, and rolled his eyes ever so dramatically, "I wouldn't want to make you feel uncomfortable around Vints, Iron Bull. However, I don't need to, because we're going to move out, now."

"Aw. Here I was enjoying my time with my new buddy here." Bull announced, and put his arm around the Commander. Greg welcomed the Qunari's friendly opinion of him, clearly unaware of Bull's other agenda. But Dorian saw it, and he definitely noticed the unnecessary squeeze before his enormous hand left the Commander.

Iron Bull stood up, followed closely by the Templar. "I'm all set. Let's go.", Bull said excitedly, and was scolded by Dorian for being too loud. Greg and Cole were walking along with them, both observed as the mage got flustered from Bull's teasing reply.

Soon, they saw the Inquisitor, and the others. The elven woman couldn't wait to share what she got in store for the Keep behind her.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

"Shall we knock?", Inquisitor Lavellan asked,

"Oh, yeah!", Bull answered almost immediately, and charged towards the front door, knocking it down. The group rushed into the courtyard, covering each other's back for any incoming attack.

"I thought Bianca is going to have a good exercise.", Varric said, very disappointed with the lack of Venatories.

"Hah, pissheads ran off!", Sera snorts.

There was no one around, the place looked empty. But then, right in the corner, Ellana saw two guards were hiding. They quickly made a run for it after she noticed them.

"Not all of them ran away.", Cole said as the guards ran up the stairs. The upper level promised them the actions that some of them craved.

"Knew it." Sera declared, and challenged Bull to a race. The two were off, despite Ellana's order to stick together. And now, the Inquisitor was chasing after them before they cause anything to explode.

..

..

Ellana electrocuted the Venatori, after their short duel of magic. Macrinus flames were put to shame by the Inquisitor. He collapsed to the ground, cursing the elf before his life escaped him.

Ellana looked around her, the fight was almost over. Blackwall used his chains on the last Venatori, and pulled him towards his death. "Done and done." Blackwall said, sounded satisfied.

"Nice one, beardy!" Sera gave him a thumbs up.

"The keep is ours.", Solas said to Ellana, "It will make a good base for the Inquisition, and to make sure the Venatories won't return."

"Eh, it will do for a summer getaway.", Varric jested, or is he?

"Slap a coat of paint on it, you'd have a halfway decent hovel.", Dorian followed after Varric threw out the idea.

"Under this dreadful sun? But, I suppose the view will do it justice.", Vivienne admit, after admiring the view bellow.

"You're right, ma'am. The view is awesome, I can see our camp from here.", Bull said.

"Alright, alright. I'm going to head back to the camp with Cassandra, Solas and Cole. So, Varric will be in charge while we're gone."

Varric casually accepted the task, promising the Inquisitor that there wouldn't be any trouble when she returned.

"I'll be sending a raven to Cullen, maybe he can send someone for the Keep. I think it's best if you search the place.", Ellana instructed.

"Check the place out. Got it. Don't worry, your inquisitoralness. No dirty secrets will be safe from us.", The dwarf confidently said and made Ellana laughed before she left the keep.

"Alright wonder team, we'll pair up to speed things up.", Varric said, and had a suspicious look. He knew who to pair, and how to make things interesting. (another opportunity for a plot in his new book). And so, he divided them into three groups.

"Iron lady and Tiny will cover around the battlements. Sparkler and Cub will cover the offices. While I, Buttercup and Hero will cover the lower levels.", By the time Varric was finished, everyone was looking at him funny. Sera snorted at some of the nicknames, finding it hilarious.

"You've been waiting for this moment, haven't you?", Blackwall asked.

"Enough lollygagging, people. We got jobs to do!", Varric announced, clearly avoiding the question, but was obvious with his cheerful mood.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Greggory watched the mage skillfully disarmed the trap on the drawers.

He intervened the Commander when he was about to open the desk drawers. He was certain that most of his countrymen would construct an elaborate trap to shame their enemy. He couldn't be wrong since he would have done the same, better safe than sorry.

Then, Dorian held out the vial of venom for him. "Tsk, too loud and barbaric for my taste, the victims will scream for hours before the venom reach their heart. I prefer something a bit more effective, elegant and won't cause my ear to bleed.", Dorian explained, but kept the venom anyway.

"That's impressive, and a little concerning.", Greg said, there was humor in his voice.

"Why? You're not going through my personal belongings, are you?" Dorian teased.

"Of course not, Dorian. But, It's good to know about the security in your drawers.", Greg joked back and earned a chuckle from the Tevinter, who wouldn't mind if he actually did.

...

"I'm learning more about venoms in these past few months. I think I'm starting to recognize some of them by sight.", Greg mentioned while going through the second drawer.

Dorian was checking the bookshelf to his left, "Snakes and dragons, you know how significant the two are for Tevinter.", Dorian then remembered something from home, it made him smiled bitterly, "It reminds me of my pet snake back home. I hope he's eating a healthy diet while I'm gone."

The Commander peeked at him when Dorian's aura suddenly changed, and was relieved that he was only homesick, "It's fortunate that you left him, I'm afraid he wouldn't fare well in Haven." Greg said, hoping his aura would light up again.

"He's lost to me either way.", Dorian said, not focused on his current task anymore, because of his damned feelings. He felt stupid for acting up like this, he wasn't even talking about the family that didn't want him, he was talking about his bloody pet.

"Dorian."

The mage turned to the striking voice that said his name.

The Commander stood in front of the window behind the desk, the light made his armor shone righteously. Dorian didn't know why he brought this up now, but he always felt safe when he's around. It's rather ridiculous how easy his mood changed the moment he gave him any attention.

"Hey.", Greggory called him the second time, when he drifted off again, "How about a break?", He then signaled Dorian to come closer, and to check out the view. Dorian couldn't possibly refuse or resisted the goofy smile he was about to make.

The two leaned against the wall, and felt the wind from outside the windows. Dorian subtly looked at the man in front of him. He might tolerate the pain if he was there to keep him company. The thought made him blinked, he couldn't believe it come from his head. He cursed for being so corny.

Dorian wanted to look away, but it was impossible after Greg took off his helmet. He noticed a few strands of his silky blonde hair had escaped his man-bun. His eyes roamed while the other man was searching for something inside his satchel.

"You don't mind whisky?", Greg offered after he took out a flask from his satchel.

"Straying away from your duties, Commander?", He jested, and accepted the flask. "Careful now, looks like I actually become a bad influence for you."

Greggory gave a small laugh, and told him it wasn't true.

"You got a good taste.", Dorian praised after he tried the beverage. He returned the flask, and let the Commander had a turn. They continued to share drinks, and had some small talks, while enjoying the view.

"I'm sorry about your mentor, and his son. He's a great father, even after Corypheus manipulated that love.", Greg said and took a sip of the whisky.

Dorian recalled the first time he met his former mentor, and then the time when the two were breaking boundaries of magic itself. Alexius saved him in a way, he would be a drunken loser if it weren't for him.

"Thank you. But honestly, it was reckless of him to seek solutions from the very one that gave him that say problem.", Dorian snarked. "A brilliant man just gone because of one tragedy."

"His actions were inexcusable, but he is just a father who loves his son, and doesn't want to lose him.", Greg replied, his sympathy always astonished the mage.

But, Dorian was unfamiliar with what Alexius was going through, "I suppose fatherly love is one of the little things I am inexperience of.", he shrugged.

"You don't get along with your father?" Greg asked, but showed that Dorian didn't have to answer it, if he didn't want to.

"He is a Magister, a traditional one. We have our differences, and we argued a lot. He wants me to follow in his footsteps, and to preserve the family's legacy. But, his plans for me collided with my interests, and so I decided that it's best to be on my own.", Dorian said, keeping some details behind. The Commander wouldn't be interested in hearing his family affairs.

"Otherwise, I should be 'fat with it', as our unequivocal Sera would say.", Dorian words earned a quizzical look from Greg, only after he had explained what it meant that Greg gave an "Oh.".

"But enough. As much as I love to talk about me, I'm more interested in the Templars. It occurs to me that you're different than most of your southerner friends. Or, is it a method to make our cage more bearable?", Dorian asked, feeling up for some political discussion.

Greg felt the sting in his words, "We can't forget that mages are people too. People who are granted with amazing gifts. The Templars suppose to be their guardians, while they learn about their magic. It is sad, that many of us abuse that authority.", Greg answered, he never agreed the extreme lengths they would do just to control the mages. They were not beasts to tame and to control.

"Gift? What an outrageous word coming from a Templar.", Dorian snorted, "Do you mean that, Greggory? Or are you just being nice?"

Deep in his heart, Dorian disliked how mean he sounded. But, he couldn't ignore how the mages were treated here. It was ridiculous to limit them from their true potentials.

"It can be a wondrous or dangerous gift, it resolved on how you treated it.", Greg answered, "As long as their hearts are in the right place, I will be there to support them."

"Hmm, your reputation precedes you, Commander.", Dorian said. He wanted to be sceptical with his noble opinions. But, there were many mages who spoke highly of him.

"You've set a frightening example for both the Templars and the Chantry. You're connected to magic as much as any other mages by now, more, if I am being honest. How do you feel about it?", Dorian asked, eager for his response.

"I don't have magic flowing inside of me. I don't think I am suitable to be compared with a mage.", Greg said, and felt the irony in his lie.

"So, using lyrium, and making friends with a spirit, aren't suitable enough? Or are you ashamed to have a common thing with us mages?", Dorian continued with the criticism. By now, he was desperate to see any expression from the calm Templar.

"I'm not ashamed, Dorian. But, you made me realize, the truth in your words. I am close with magic, probably too intimate than most Templars. I have crossed many lines, and I do it in order to help them.", Greg explained, he could see how unorthodox he was as a Templar. He blamed his other half for that.

"So, it's that simple? You really throw yourself to magic to help?", Dorian concluded and couldn't believe it. He wanted to know how the Templar truly felt about it all, probably proving him that he was too good to be true. But instead, the image of a proud and holier-than-thou Templar was smashed into smithereens.

"Huh. I don't know what to say." Dorian honestly didn't know how to respond. He didn't want to be naive, and believe his straightforward reason.

"You're making fun of me." Greg shook his head because of Dorian's baffled look, "It's not a weird thing to do", he declared strongly, and took a sip from his flask.

"I hope people remember that helping others and doing what is right are not that uncommon things to do."

Dorian smiled over the sentiment. The Templar made him felt terrible, like he was being guilt trip by a priest. He regret to ever questioned his good deeds.

Then, Greg asked him about Tevinter, trying to get him all worked up again for another heated discussion. Both of them continued to discuss about magic, the Chantry, and occasionally the nobles. A few times they almost delved in too deep at the topic, but most of the time, it was a light-hearted ones where they exchanged more information about themselves.

"It's nice to have this talk with you, Greggory.", Dorian told him after he took another sip, a final one.

Greg nodded, "Likewise, Dorian. I hope my words didn't offend you."

The mage looked at him in amusement, "Nonsense! I should be the one to worry for my insensitive but necessary input."

"All of them necessary?" Greggory raised his brow as he asked.

Dorian smirked, "Of course. And Greggory, you don't have to hold back to protect my feelings. Don't you assume that I am a child that cried for the things I can't get."

Greggory smiled at the idea, it was cute to picture him as a child, and Dorian didn't doubt that. He told him that a handsome man like himself, obviously came from a cute and equally handsome child.

"Whatever you say, my Lord.", Greg teased, earning another smirk from him.

"We should do this again, and if I remember correctly, didn't we plan for a drink together? Or am I mistaken?", Greg didn't know why he brought it up. This was the one thing he feared for enjoying his company, he wanted more. He couldn't make himself to be bothered by the consequences.

Dorian looked at him, and he was serious about it, "My fault there. The Templars just joined, so I didn't want to bother you. And another thing, I don't think your friends like me very much." Dorian said, referring to the three men who was closest to him. He wasn't fond of how they looked at him, like he was going to turn their leader against them with a bat of his eyelashes.

Not that he would turn down a challenge. But of course, most definitely, he wouldn't do such a thing.

This was new to Greg, he felt bad for not knowing, "They don't know you, other than you're from Tevinter."

"And a mage." Dorian added.

"Who is fighting against Corypheus and the Venatori. I'm sure they will like you.", Greg assured him.

"Ah, so does that mean you like me?" Dorian teased, he couldn't pass up the chance.

The mage found himself loss for words when the young Commander looked away, outside the window, with both a smile and a light crimson color on his cheeks.

"I enjoy your company, Dorian. I hope we can be friends if not colleagues." Greg told him, the tough Templar sounded shy, and it was playing with Dorian's heart.

The mage tried to keep a straight face, he told to himself that he couldn't squander the chance to be in good terms with the famed White Lion. He almost panicked, when his heart conjured another silly vision of him and the Commander, a recurrent delusions he had entertained since he met Greggory.

But then again, he thought as he convinced himself that no harm would come in enjoying his little flirts with him, besides he would have said something if he didn't like them.

"I was thinking the same thing."

..Then, something happened..

When both of their eyes met, blues locked with greens, the playful atmosphere around them slowly changed into something intimate.

The Commander thought and complimented his beautiful eyes, of how tender it looked. He wanted to feel the warmth of his cheeks and the softness of his lips. He imagined that any men or women would be lucky to have his love.

"Can I ever be that lucky?", The thought should upset him, but he found himself closing the distance between them.

Dorian didn't have anything to say back when he looked so serious, so demanding, so enticing. He wanted to drown in those eyes, wanted his fingers to be lost in those golden hair. Anyone would easily fall for him, both men and women. He would make them the happiest person alive.

"Can I be that happy?", The thought was stupid enough that he would slap himself silly, but he found himself closing the distance between them.

*Bonk!*

Both of them blinked, and took one step back as they looked at the door. When it opened, they saw Iron Bull rubbing his head, looking embarrassed at Vivienne.

"I thought I can knock the frame loose, and I'm slouching less now, Ma'am.", he explained with a proud grin on his face. There was a piece of wood on the ground behind them.

"Oh my dear Iron bull, whatever am I going to do with you?", Vivienne said, but smiled at Bull's adorableness.

Then the Iron Lady set her sights at the other group, who was supposedly had the office searched.

"Darlings, find anything interesting?"

Perhaps Vivienne didn't care to notice the awkward air between them, or how quick Greggory put back his helmet. Not Iron Bull though, he was as sharp as a housewife kitchen knife when it came to this. He saw what was going on, and made sense of Varric's order to group these two together.

He was right, there was an attraction between them. "Damn, that dwarf is good." He almost said that out loud.

Iron Bull looked at Dorian with teasing eye, when the Commander talked with the Madame. He felt satisfied when Dorian grunted and walked away from Bull.

...

 _To be continued_

* * *

 **Hohoho!**

 **I will have Greg be more involved in anything Dorian. And, maybe soon, the Inquisitor will have to deal with Greg's loyalty mission, something that Dorian insisted that he should partake in.**

 **Next chap should be about the continuity of the Warden mission and Adamant Fortress (you know things gonna get juicy there! *Wink *wink)**

 **Thank you, lovelies, for reading!**

 **I hope you enjoy the fic.**

 **More love for you for leaving reviews, faves and follows!**


	15. Chapter 15 : The Amulet

**Enjoy lovelies!**

 **Yeah, this is a long one.**

* * *

Back in Skyhold...

"Hold on, hold on. I like what you're doing, but it's better like this..", Bull said and then demonstrated a powerful strike to the dummy in front of them.

The dummy shook, missing little pieces of it.

"See? That's way better!", The Qunari turned to the two contemplating men.

The Warden thought it wasn't bad, but that movement could strain a muscle if not careful (or if you're not a big Qunari).  
While the Commander thought it was a strong attack, but would leave out too many openings.

Iron Bull squinted his eyes, and passed the sword in his hand to the Commander, "Make me vulnerable, huh? How about you prove it to me, Greg.", Bull challenged, and then took another sword for himself.

"An enlightening spar for the men.", Bull said, meaning the rookies around the training ground. Greggory was easily convinced, he wouldn't squander a chance to spar with the Qunari.

Blackwall took a few steps back as the two gentlemen went into their fighting stances. "It's good to show the men different styles of sword fighting.", The warden thought, trying to tolerate this bad idea.

The Commander moved towards the Qunari in steady steps, Bull couldn't tell where he was targeting his first attack, since his eyes were hidden behind the helmet. However, Bull smirked, it also created many blind spots for the Orlesian.

Bull charged, both hands were holding his sword as he attacked the Commander with full force.

Greg had to dodge it, decided it would be best to outflank him. He quickly countered, and thrusted his sword to Bull's side.

The Qunari showed off his speed when he moved away, feeling the dull blade missing him by a few inches.

Seeing the chance, Bull grabbed Greg's arm, no rules, he hinted and grinned. His strong and sudden grip almost made the Commander dropped his sword.

"Hah.", Blackwall was amazed when the Commander used his elbow to attack Bull's jaw. The Qunari managed to block it with his other hand, but not the low kick that followed.

Bull pushed the man away before he fell on one knee, "Oft! Good one.", Bull commented as Greg stumbled back.  
He got up, and couldn't feel the pain because of the adrenaline, "A good warm up!" Bull announced.

..

The two were at it for some time now, and weren't in a rush to lose to the other, even though this was just a spar.

"Nice move that one.", Krem said, taking notes alongside the recruits and Templars in the training ground. They were in awe at the last chain of attack from the Templar Commander. Then flinched (and admire) at Iron Bull's terrifyingly fierce blows.

Greggory gritted his teeth and held the other back, when they were locked. He had to use his spirit side to boost his strength, and kept pushing him back.

The Templar rotated his sword, the blade slipped through Bull's defences, and was thrusted towards him. With good instinct, Bull immediately moved his neck away from the incoming attack. He backed away from his opponent.

"I see this is not your first time messing around with a Qunari.", Bull said, his breathing was heavy now.

"Do you prefer I go slow, Bull?", Greg replied, so concentrate on their fight. He didn't expect to turn to his spirit side for aid, and that just made him more thrilled.

..

..

"My money is still on the Boss.", Rocky told the other Chargers. "The Shem can't keep it up much longer." Skinner commented.

Greggory made quick attacks, which Bull parried and did a spin attack to counter it.  
The horned warrior was starting to get frustrated, when the Commander always seemed to know where he was, those blind spots were useless to him.

"Does that helmet got eyes?", Bull thought, as they went back to where they were at the beginning.

The two moved around, giving testing attacks and parries. Until suddenly, Bull chose to go all in with his next attack.  
He swung his sword low and upward with massive force, he gave his all in that one final blow. His Templar friend held the sword with both hands and blocked it. But this time, things turned out differently.

Everyone was staring when the training sword couldn't withstand Bull's strength, it broke.

The crowd applauded as the Commander held his shattered sword.

Greg looked at his sword, smiling, "You win this round. My sword can't handle you, apparently." he said, throwing the broken sword aside. A little annoyed too.

Bull laughed, enjoying his victory, but wasn't fully satisfied, "Maybe next time, we'll get your veridium in on the action.", he teased, "But, that was a good fight. Good fight!", Bull roared in excitement.

The two shook hands, and praised each other performances.

Blackwall complimented them, it was a damn good show. He turned to the recruits, giving them a speech about the spar.

Krem poked at the small cuts on Bull's body, he was starting to feel it when the adrenaline faded.

"You have to teach me about that move, Ser.", Krem said after making fun of his leader. "Where did you learn it? It's too crude and wild to be Orlesian."

Greg massaged his sore wrist, and replied, "It's self taught. Good for hitting large targets."

Bull could see a wink under that helmet, he's sure. "What? That's not some Chevalier secret move to prevent a Qunari Invasion?"

…

The recruits and the Templars dispersed after their training was over. Their mentors were sure that today's training would benefit them greatly.

"You made me lost my money, Commander.", Knight Templar Septom said, he was mentoring the Templars alongside Greggory.

"Luck isn't on my side today, Ser Septom.", Greg said, a bit loud so Bull could hear.

"Oh here we go.", Blackwall wanted to facepalm himself when Bull asked what Greg meant by that. Clearly, the two wasn't over with the fight. The Warden expected it from Bull, but not Greggory.

"Commander, Ser!", a messenger ran up to them, pausing Bull from challenging the human for another match.

Greg cleared his throat, "Report."

At that order, the messenger took out a small pouch from his satchel. "A package for you, Ser."

Greggory didn't expect any packages today. As soon as he saw the sigil on the pouch, he quickly snatched it from the surprised messenger.

"T..That will be all. Thank you.", Ser Greggory dismissed him, while gaining back his composure.

The messenger, who chose to stay out of it, bid them farewell.

Greggory thought the amulet wouldn't arrive after a few more days. He checked inside the pouch, and it was there. "What's the package?"  
Greg instantly put the pouch into his pocket, when Ser Septom asked. He told him that it wasn't anything important, which the other Orlesian found it hard to believe. Sept saw how clingy he was to the thing seconds ago.

"Leave him be. A man gotta prioritise his pleasure once in awhile. Nothing wrong with that.", Bull defended, and gave him a thumbs up, "Good for you, Greg."

The men, including Greggory, looked at him, dumbfounded.

"What are you even.. No. Don't say it. I don't want to know.", Blackwall said, both hands in the air.

"Hilarious, Bull.", Greg said, no joy in his voice, "Now. If it's alright with all of you, I am needed elsewhere.", he didn't bother to share where he was going, and just walked away, "See you later, gentlemen."

"Have fun, Greg!", Bull shouted. He could have sworn that he saw him twitch there.

"You are the worse sometimes, Bull.", Blackwall said, and then asked him if he wanted to get something to drink. Iron Bull's answer was an arm wrapped around the poor knight Templar, insisting Septom to join them. He tried to free himself from the Qunari, starting to regret that drinking contest he had with one of his Chargers.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOo**

Greggory greeted the elven mage before he went up the stairs.

"It will be fine. Just give it to him.", Greg thought, instilling bravery in himself. He shouldn't be this nervous for returning someone's possession, but his heart kept on pounding.

Then he stopped, and realized how terrible he looked right now. The spar had left him completely unpresentable.  
"Damn it, shine why don't you.", he thought as he tried to wipe off the dirt in his armor. He wondered if he should go, and change first.

"Get a hold of yourself!", Greg mentally scolded. It was stupid to overthink this, he was going to return his amulet, and that was it. "Yes, that's all."

"Commander?"

"Nothing!", Greg exclaimed and turned to the person behind him with lightning speed.

Greg felt his mind went blank, after he realized it was Dorian. The man stood behind him in the stairway, a snobby know it all looked was plastered on him.

The Templar felt absolutely mortified that in no way he would take off his helmet now. He must have been too busy with his own thoughts that he failed to sense him.

"Hm, hiding something, are you? Is it something sinful?", Dorian poked, his eyes were teasing, making it harder for the Templar to calm his nerves.

He's having a blast with this, Greg thought, and then finally found his voice. "You just surprised me, Dorian." Greg said, and then saw the bottle in his hand.

Dorian's lips quirked to a smile after that visor focused on the beverage, "I can't say your timing is more perfect, Commander. I promised a drink, didn't I? How about it?", Dorian offered while walking up the stairs.

Greg forced himself to avert his eyes when the mage passed him. "It's.. a bit sooner than I expected.", Greg said, trying to keep his voice neutral, and eyes focused on the torch behind the mage.

Dorian put a hand on his hip, "How do you propose the right time then?", the smooth Tevinter asked back, but didn't wait for his answer. He turned to continued up the stairs, and after five steps, he glanced back at the frozen Commander (who's definitely wasn't staring).

"Well?", Dorian asked again.

Greg dared himself to look at him. He couldn't believe what was going on with him at the moment, he should be done with this phase days ago.  
Now, he's back at being a fool in love. His mind was admiring how the flames made Dorian looked so hauntingly beautiful, but soon after, another thought appeared to remind him that everything the mage did was beautiful.  
He forced himself to dismiss those thoughts, and accepted Dorian's offer, not that he could refuse him with his current state.

...

...

Dorian set down the bottle on the small table between the two armchairs, there was a pair of wine glasses too. The light coming from the window truly complimented the relaxing atmosphere.

"Please, make yourself comfortable.", Dorian said in his most polite manner and gestured toward the armchair.

"I didn't got time to visit the Library before.", Greg said while browsing a pile of books beside his chair. The place was nice, but it's an ill comparison to the Spire's collection.

"I won't get my hopes up if I were you. The Inquisition's library is in dire need of an update. Their current collection is an insult to our benevolent cause.", Dorian sassed and finally popped open the bottle.

He gracefully poured the wine into their glasses, bended down a bit more than necessary, certainly giving the Commander a fine view. Satisfied with teasing the younger man, he then gave him a glass.

Dorian offered a toast to the Inquisition, and gave a short speech about the darkspawn failures.  
The mage's confidence was contagious. Greggory was more relaxed as they clink their glasses.

In truth however, Dorian wasn't entirely in control, he was just pretty good at concealing his feelings. (he was an expert in that department)

Dorian felt his heart raced when their hands brushed together. There was an electric feeling as the gloved hand touched his naked one. He felt embarrassed for wondering how it would feel if they were both bare, would the feeling be twice as powerful?

"This is nice.", Greg commented after the first sip. Since it was challenging to get the delicious wine to his mouth, Greg took off his helmet, and set it down beside his feet.

Dorian snapped out of his day dream, and sat down in the other chair. He made himself cozy with a glass of wine in hand and a magnificent view in front of him.  
"The best one I can conjure in such strict time. I hope it satisfies your taste.", Dorian charmingly said. He was content to finally see that smile of his after so long (it felt like it). He could never get tired of it.

Also, after observing him for some time, Dorian started to suspect that he must be a mix blood. And something else was there, not just Orlesian and Fereldan. Not that it's a bad thing, quite the opposite, really.  
Good looks and a good heart, the man was a full package.  
He was good natured and acted more mature than him, even though he was maybe four or five years older than the Commander.

One thing was for sure, that he could rely on him, he would be safe in his embrace from bloodthirsty demons.  
Dorian took a sip of the wine at that picture.

"That was an interesting training you had with Iron Bull. I am a bit disappointed that you forfeited.", The mage started, he saw the whole spectacle from the bridge. He stumbled upon them, by accident this time, when he was going to fetch the wine from Cullen (a favor).

He believed that the Commander could win if he didn't surrender, he was sure that he could outsmart Bull. He admitted that a few breaths were held from watching the fight.

Ser Greggory was flattered, but also self-conscious of his appearance. "Forgive my poor manners. I should have presented myself better.", The Commander said and felt ashamed. He couldn't help but created an image of the disapproving Duke in his head.

"Please, it doesn't bother me. It adds character to the whole indomitable knight thing. No doubt, It will melt the ladies hearts, as well as their skirts.", Dorian joked. Yet, it sounded awful to him. But, what was he supposed to do, flirt with him out in the open?  
Very unlikely, he was sure that someone was listening to their conversation by now. The spy master was literally above them.

Dorian glanced at the stairway, making sure Mother Giselle weren't lurking around, all too ready to accuse him of heresy, etc, etc.

Dorian focused back to the Templar when he let out a small laugh, and it instantly made the Tevinter tolerate all of those worries.

"Kaffas, I will need more than one bottle." he thought.

..

An hour went by, and their bottle was almost empty,  
the two gentlemen were enjoying their chat and wine, when the Templar remembered the content inside his pocket.  
"I almost forget about this..", Greg said out loud, earning a curious look from the Tevinter.

"Forget?", Dorian watched as he dug out something from his pocket, a pouch.

"This is yours."

Dorian was speechless, only a few people that could make him do so in more time than once. But, he couldn't recall losing anything.

"Or, is it a gift?", the idea appeared, and it was unbelievable for Dorian. He eyed the pouch on the Commander's hand, looking for some kind of a trap.

"When was the last time you talked with Sera?", Dorian asked, still not touching the pouch.

"Excuse me?", Greg asked and thought about the last time he saw the archer. He was about to give him an answer, before he realized why the mage brought her up.

"This is not a prank, Dorian.", Greg said, and shook his head. What a start, he thought and was less sure about this.

"Fine, I'll take your word for it.", Dorian reached out and accepted the gift, "But if this is a prank, I will be very crossed with you.", he warned playfully.

Greg repeated that it wasn't a prank while the mage started to open the pouch.

Dorian's expression was concerning, the Commander thought.

The smile soon faded, and was replaced by a flat one. He looked upset, and his aura was the opposite of happy.  
Did he screw up? Greg thought, and wanted to say something, but was afraid to make things worse.

"Where did you? Now I remember whose sigil this is.", Dorian frowned and put back the amulet inside the pouch. "What did he ask of you?", Dorian demanded rather than asked.

Greggory never saw him this angry before. He was sure that he would be glad to have his amulet back, or was it a fake?  
"It's yours, isn't it?", Greg asked back.

Dorian would have been fine with petty gifts or not at all. Greggory was crossing the line with that kindness of his. "It is. I got myself into this. I sold it because I was desperate. I wanted to get it back on my own. What I didn't want is to be indebted to you or anyone. Haven't I make myself clear before?", Dorian left the pouch on the table as he stood up from his chair, looking very angry at the blond.

"Now I am. Why?", His amulet would make it personal. It would involve emotions to all of this. He didn't ask for that.

Dorian waited for his answer, but the younger man gave him none of that. Instead, he laughed!  
The Commander stood up to face him, trying to stop his chuckles, while Dorian looked bewildered.

The nerve, this might as well be a prank, Dorian thought.

"This is your family amulet. I know very well the importance of it, so I couldn't leave it alone when Lord Ponchard de Lieux addressed it to me.", Greg easily explained, not seeing the problems that Dorian saw.

There was a line, and Dorian made sure that he wouldn't cross it. It was more than obvious that he was attracted to the blond, but he didn't want to explore those feelings, he didn't want to offend him. He was happy to be his friend, and that was enough.  
"Don't go there, Dorian.", He scolded himself, and tried to wipe away that memory in the Griffon Keep. He refused to acknowledge that moment of weakness.

"This is serious.", Dorian told him, and then sighed, "And now I am indebted to you, again.", He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Now I feel offended, does being indebted to me really that bad?", Greg joked, still making light of the situation. "You know, the worse thing I can ask from you is to attend a party with me. Perhaps, we'll wear matching clothes, and make a spectacle.", Greggory smirked.  
Dorian tried to resist a smile from the idea.

"You're impossible.", then let out a small chuckle from the image of them at that party.  
"All of this for a dance partner, Commander? I will never understand you Orlesians.", Dorian couldn't stay mad at the damn blond.  
"But do understand, this will make people talk. I'm not concerned what they'll say about me, but I don't want them to talk bad about you."

Greg's amused face remained, even after Dorian had presented the problem, "You still think this is funny?"

"It is.", Greg answered and earned the mage's disapproval, "I know Orlais and her games well, Dorian. She can be cruel, and she can be merciful. From her games, I learned nothing is stronger than the truth. So, I want them to know the truth about you, to see the good in you. You are a dear friend of mine, and I will never hide it."

"T..that.. is.." Dorian tried to find the word he just lost. He wanted to smack away the butterflies in his stomach.

"I will be so please for that dance, or...", Greg retrieved the pouch from the table and then gently took Dorian's hand. He put the pouch on top of his p. "A thank you from you will make my day. You earn this."

The two men looked at each other with their hands connected. They remembered the last time they were this close, and how natural and right it felt. But this time, Dorian knew better,

"You win.", he took the pouch, and separated their hands, "I will find a way to repay you. Count on it."

His niceness would be the death of him, Dorian swore.  
Still, he felt happy for his opinions of him, he was truly touched. "Thank you, Greggory." the mage finally said it, and almost immediately averted his eyes from the Templar.

Greggory thought that today was the happiest day for him, he didn't regret having that deal with the noble. However, he meant everything he said, and hoped that Dorian would believe him.

Then, he noticed the mage's smile returned. But, this one looked different. He felt attracted to those soft inviting lips, and the light crimson color on his cheeks really complimented his beauty. "You have a lovely smile, Dorian."

The Commander wasn't finish with playing with his heart, yet. Dorian couldn't look at him, fearing for his self control.  
"So I'm told. I do have excellent teeth.", Dorian countered, then froze when a hand had captured his chin, moving his face to meet him.

Dorian was reminded of how blue his eyes were, the tenderness and strength in them. He wanted to look a little deeper, but he felt afraid. He didn't know what to do or say, he feared someone was going to walk in on them.

But, amidst his panicked mind, a curious question popped up. Did Greggory feel something for him, romantically?

They enjoyed their time together, and they were easily friends. he didn't want to jump to conclusion about the event at the Keep, so he thought nothing of it. But, the way he was acting now, it opened up a new possibility.

Suddenly, he saw those eyes lost their tenderness, and was replaced by sadness. He felt his hand left him,

"You are right, your teeth are excellent." Greg said again, but his voice sounded sad.

The Commander turned away from him to take his helmet.  
Dorian didn't know what just happen, but he would not let him leave like that. "Is there something I should know?" Dorian asked, blocking his way.

The Templar refused to meet his eyes, even after he put on that damned helmet.

Dorian crossed his arms, he was sure that he couldn't be mistaken.

"I will not know unless you tell me, Greggory. And I want to listen, I want to know.", Dorian told him, yet it didn't decrease the coldness of his visor.

"Thank you for the wine, Dorian. I need to write a few important letters, before we march to help the Wardens."  
Dorian froze when he walked passed him, and left him there.

...

"Commander, how are..", the lady tried to gain his attention, but the Templar ignored her calls.

He quickened his pace, before finally stopped and found himself inside his room. Greg held his chest tight, he didn't want to feel like this.

Repeatedly, he almost destroyed the friendship he had with Dorian.

Greg walked to his bed and sat down, feeling conflicted. "Maker, I shouldn't have done that."

He was sure that he had confused Dorian, made him feel uncomfortable with his weird antics.  
He thought he had ruined it after what happened at Western Approach. He had dodge a bullet when the mage still wanted to talk to him. Acting like nothing happened, all for his sake.

And now, he really blew it.  
Could he keep blaming his human emotions for this? It was ridiculous to feel so alive, all of these emotions Dorian had created. He had been so reckless whenever he was around. It was hard not to think of him, it was even harder to stay away.

"This isn't right. He is not Arladahl, they're nothing alike. I won't use him for my own selfish desires. I have my chance, and he has his own life to be happy with."

Greg wished he would understand that, and stop with these behaviors.

..

 **OoOoOoOoOoOo**

Later that night, in Skyhold gardens.

The meeting to finalize their plans for Adamant had left her exhausted, but she was optimistic for their success. The people were mostly done in preparing for their march to the Fortress tomorrow.

But honestly, if they had another choice, she would not choose an assault. It was with heavy heart that they had to go with the plan, and prevent Corypheus from taking control of the Wardens.

She respected the Grey Wardens for their sacrifices in protecting the world from the Blight. However, it was concerning that they had no limitation on how to defeat the Blight. It brought upsetting rumors about them.

And now, they had let a Magister toyed with their minds. If he was telling her the truth, then the Wardens would welcome any methods, no matter how messed up, just to end the Blight. She thought the Wardens were smarter than this.

Well, she hoped that Stroud was right, that the Wardens would listen and come to their senses.

"Demon army. You really in it now, Ellana.", The Inquisitor mumbled while sitting on the bench at the gardens. She heard soft chants, coming from the small chapel not far in the distance.

Eversince the Templars joined the Inquisition, they had been renovating the chapel, and had religious activities to raise the troops morale. She was no Andrastean, and she never visited a Chantry before, mostly because of her magical background. So, this was her first time hearing the chant, and it sounded very peaceful.

"Hmm, hmm.", Ellana followed the melody, even though she couldn't make out the words. Usually, there were schedules, but Greggory told her that he wanted the men to have spiritual peace before they marched to war.

It's surprising that the Commander could sing, him and the three Templars he was closest with. The four of them sang in perfect harmony with voices that could calm a storm.

Shortly, the hymn slowly faded, and soon people left the chapel to go back to their beds or to continue their unfinished business.

From her spot, she saw four robed men exited the empty chapel, Hawke and Varric were with them for a moment, before they went on their separate ways.  
The Commander noticed her, he said something to the others before leaving them for her.

"Inquisitor, you should rest for tomorrow.", Ellana smiled as the man walked up to her.

"I can't sleep. Maybe after a few more minutes.", she said light-heartedly, and patted the empty space beside her. After Greggory sat down next to her, she pointed out about Hawke's attendance in their chant.

"It's hard to believe, but Varric always attends. And tonight, he brought Serah Hawke with him. Varric thought it would be a relaxing experience for him.", Greg explained, "I'm glad if it help."

Ellana didn't know that about Varric, and then asked if he got any other unexpected guests. Greg told her some names that made her eyebrows raised. He told her that beside the Chant of Light, they would do non-religious ones to lift up their spirits. So, it wasn't strange that even non-Andrastians attended. They wanted their service to benefit everyone.

Ellana praised their good motives, and asked more questions about it. But, Greg couldn't focus on answering her questions when she looked very worn out. Her anchor might block him from reading her aura, but he didn't need his ability to tell the obvious.  
The elven Inquisitor had always been a compassionate soul. The bright light that beaconed amidst the darkness, as he always said whenever she was present.

She cared so much about the others that she would forget about her own.

"At least tell me that you've had your dinner.", Greg interrupted her.

"I did.", Ellana answered, couldn't hold her giggles. This wasn't the first time the Templar would trouble himself with her health. It's nice, like having a big brother, she thought.

She told him that she already ate, but Greggory insisted that she had some of his roasted peanuts. He took a small bag of them, and put it between them. She was intrigued on how long did he carry them around.

He told her, it was a gift from one of the nobles in Skyhold. Somehow, he knew of his love for the snack.  
That made Ellana asked him about the strangest gift he had ever received, and the answer almost made her choke on her snack. Greg insisted it was true, and asked her back with the same question.

Ellana confessed that she had never received gifts from the elves in her clan. Greggory asked why was that, since she was a delightful person to be with. Ellana thanked him for the compliment, and then explained more about her life as a Dalish.

The Clan discouraged it, and she was also distant with the other elves at her age. She focused more on her studies.

But, there was an elderly human who would come to their Clan to trade. Sometimes, he would give her free things, like books and small trinkets.

She never saw him again since their Clan moved their camp.

Ellana didn't continue to talk more about her Clan and chose to answer the original question. So, she mentioned about that one strange present from someone in Val Royeaux. Greggory quickly demanded the sender's name after she told him what's the gift. Ellana dismissed his worries, saying that Cullen had taken care of that, personally.

Commander Cullen? Greg repeated in his mind. He decided it made sense that the two were intimate. He was happy for her.

"So, since Ser Cullen continues to solve your problems, then I have to report the Commander about your lack of sleep.", Greg said with sly eyes.

"You.. You wouldn't!", Ellana hitted him in the arm playfully, and asked him not to joke around about that.

They had a good laugh, although Greg couldn't promise to keep quiet about the lack of care for her own health. It made her pout, and would blame him if Cullen started babying her.

...

"Uhm, you told me about how you met Cole. How did it feel before he showed himself to you, I mean, do you sense him when he's near?", Ellana suddenly changed the topic.

"I heard mages were more sensitive to spirits. But, I did feel his presence, maybe because Cole wanted me to.", Greg made up the story, but was curious of why she brought it up. "Is something wrong, Ellana?"

And there was, The Templar could see it when she hesitated. He crossed his arms and looked at her, telling her that lies wouldn't work on him.

Ellana's ears lowered a bit, "Okay, you see, Solas brought this up to me some days ago. Don't freak out, okay?", She said, finding the right way to tell him this.

When she mentioned the other mage, Greg wasn't too eager to hear her out. Not that he had anything against Solas, he was friendly and very wise. However, he couldn't bring himself to fully trust the elf.

It's because he failed to feel anything from the mage. He might be not as connected with his other half, but even Cole didn't share anything about that elf. It made him became an Unknown.

Greg then understood how Cole must have felt when they first met.

Nevertheless, It didn't sit well for him. Solas had a very dangerous, but accurate and empathetic understanding about the fade and spirits. It never failed to intimidate him.

"What has our Solas discovered?", Greg asked, not so excited for the answer.

"He thinks that Skyhold is haunted.", Ellana told him.

"What? Do you mean spirits?", Greg wasn't fond of where this was heading.  
The fortress was elven and there were traces of magic around the place, but he should have known about a spirit, or Cole would detect it.

"Yes. There is a spirit that's been following us. But, from the fade that is. Not here-here. Solas said it was watching us in our dreams.", Ellana shivered by the thought, "Creepy."

Ellana described how Solas told her about their stalker. Which made the Templar realized that they were talking about him, his spirit persona when he was in the fade.

Greg didn't think that Solas would detect him. He was sure that he had been careful.

"What else did Solas say about the spirit, how it look? What it wants?", Greg asked.

"Not much really. He hasn't seen it directly, so that's why we haven't told anyone." Ellana explained. They already had too many demons to be worried about, no need to make it worse with speculations.

Greg showed his understanding, and hoped he could help them. When in truth, he was relief about how little they knew about him. He took note to be a lot more wary tonight.

The man who was half a spirit didn't mean any harm. When he slumbered, he went to the fade to help the people in their dreams, making their nightmares bearable, and if he could, prevent them from existing.

Ellana thanked him for the offer, and suggested him to be more careful from now on. "I hope the spirit won't sabotage our plans tomorrow." She sighed, there was little chance that Solas could be wrong about anything fade related.

Greg wanted to laugh, and told her how harmless that spirit was. Alas, he wouldn't put more attention to himself.

"The world is at your side, Inquisitor. Nothing will go wrong tomorrow."

 **OoOoOoOoOoOo**

"They make a perfect couple. The Maker intends their union.", The noble sounded his excitement, his mask started to look like they were actually grinning.

"Oh, I believe so. But, what will the Grand Duke say? The Inquisitor and The White lion?", She fanned herself with her hands, feeling the hotness from their conversation.

"Will it matter? He is irrelevant, the whole world knows it."

"Stop! You'll get in trouble for saying that.", She dramatically say.

The nobles shot out a snobby laughs as they walk passed him. He couldn't find a proper reaction to display for their conversation, they were whispering, but it was loud enough to draw the attention they wanted.

He didn't want their gossips to affect him, he felt ridiculous for acting like this. He couldn't be jealous, it was utter nonsense.

Finally, he blamed the last bottle he just had for it.

Still, it did shake his confidence, he was having second thoughts about this. He would turn around now and forget the idea ever existed, but his pride didn't let him. He kept on walking towards the man's room, instead of the comfort of his own minimalist room.

And when he's there, he waited for him,  
"I'll give it half an hour, if he doesn't show up, I'm heading back.", he said to no one in particular. He was confident that he wouldn't turn up, saving him from the humiliation.

Until, he did.  
There he was, walking to him.

The robe showed the alluring shape of his body, and his face showed a concerned expression as soon as he noticed the mage in front of his door.

"Dorian?", Greggory was surprised when it was really him. He quickened his pace to the mage, worried for him, because it was very late. "What's going on? Is someone bothering you?"

Dorian unconsciously smirked, the Templar's kindness remained intact, typical of him. He didn't even find this a little bit shady, a mage standing by his door in the middle of the night. Dorian didn't want to think on how much the Templar trusted him.

"I need your help, but can we talk inside?", Dorian said, looking troubled.

Greg didn't bother to read him, because he already unlocked his door, and let him entered his room. His mind was filled on how he could help Dorian's problems.

Greg closed the door behind him, "What can I help..", he tangled his own tongue when he turned around, and found Dorian there right in his space.

"D..Dorian?", Greg backed away, and the mage followed. He felt trapped when his back met the door.  
The mage put his hand on the door, sealing the Templar's only escape. While his other hand found itself on his chest, feeling the material of his robe.

"Did the Inquisitor arrive safely in her room?", Dorian asked, eyes focused on the fabric.

"The Inquisitor?", confusion was added to the list of things he had to deal with right now. Greg gulped, when his serious green eyes glared at him.

"The two of you look great together.", Dorian bitterly said. He wasn't sure where he was going with this. He had a good plan before, but it was ruined when those stupid gossips got into his head.

"What is troubling you?", Greg covered the hand on his chest with his own, ignoring the sensation when their skin met.

"Tell me how can I help?", Greggory wanted to erase the hurt in his eyes, in his aura.

Dorian frowned, he gripped the Templar's hand, and pushed it to the door.

"Then let me..", Dorian moved closer, closing the distance, "repay my debt."

Greggory grunted in surprise, when he felt soft lips on his own. He blushed madly, his mind were clouded with desire, when those lips started to move.

Electricity shot out from their senses, Dorian didn't think of the consequences, all he could think of was the Commander's lips, and how much he wanted to make them bleed.

He tilted his head, and deepened the kiss. His hand left the door and rested on the Commander cheek, feeling the strong jaw that had tormented his nights.

Suddenly, Dorian felt a hand on the back of his neck. It all exploded when Greg kissed him back. He couldn't hold him against the wall, seeing how weak his body became from the pleasure as their tongue dances a feral tune together.

Greg freed his other hand, and put it on the Mage's hip. He leaned forward to the intense kiss, earning a moan from the lovely Tevinter.

Not giving the Templar all the glory, he grinded his leg to that partly harden place. Dorian thought it was sexy when he growled, and continued to kiss down his throat, sucking on that particular spot that made his spine shivered.

Dorian couldn't explain it, but he was different than any men he had been. The thought was cut short by his surprised gasp when Greggory lifted him up. He turned the tides, and had him trapped against the wall.

Both hands around the blonde's neck, and head upwards giving him more access to his neck. "G..Greggory..." Dorian moaned when he felt teeth on his skin, the kind Templar just bit him. He grabbed his golden hair as the other kept biting and sucking on that spot.

"Don't you dare stop..", Dorian whispered, thinking nothing but their heated bodies.

"You're obsessed with my neck, Commander.", Dorian said in a husky voice as he threw away a piece of his clothing.

He looked down at the blond under him, topless on bed, his robe was loosen down to his stomach.  
Dorian sat on top of him, he was excited to torture the younger man's mind.

A sweat ran down the Templar's glistening fit body, just waiting for him to explore it. He was eager to find all of those hot scars he had.

Dorian went down to nibble his ear, feeling Greggory's hands all over him, so impatient.

"This is dangerous.." Greg said with heavy voice.

Dorian bit his ear, before he whispered sweetly, "We want each other.", then made little trail of kisses down his neck and up to his chin. He stopped to meet his eyes, lips were inches apart, he was no longer shy with his desires. "Let us enjoy this."

Greg couldn't protest when Dorian grinded their thighs together. He lost it as he used his strength to push himself up and kissed Dorian furiously. His hands had captured the teasing ass, and turned over their position, not breaking the intoxicating kiss.

Their aura melted together, clutching to one another.  
He saw only him, thoughts only about how to pleasure him. He wanted to see those eyes pleading for him.

Dorian.

 **…**

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Greg hanged his head low as he sat on the bed, feeling the lingering ecstasies around his body, while creating a death sentence for himself.

He peeked at the mage, who was wearing his clothes back. The marks he gave to the dark haired man, only made him felt guiltier.

"You're being dramatic. Only I can do that.", Dorian joked, he swayed his hips as he walked towards him.

Greg eyes went wide, when the mage suddenly climbed up his lap, staring him down with playful eyes.

"The evil magister finally seduced the knight in shining armor.", Dorian smirked, "What will the princess say?"

Dorian then pinched his cheek when it reddened.

"I'm not being dramatic. I..", Greg defended and hold that hand from abusing his cheek and the remaining self respect he had.

"I will only hurt you, Dorian."

Dorian made a comment on the places he did hurt him, Greg chuckled and told him that's not what he meant.

Greg wanted to reach him, to touch him again, to feel him again. But, he had done a lot more than enough, he had to leave it here.

Dorian felt a pain in his chest, when those eyes refused to look at him. He had expected this, in no way did the Templar would consider him. This was all for fun.

He knew this.

He should be happy for having a wild night with him, getting that chance to have the untouchable man writhing under him, feeling the love..

Dorian quickly corrected himself, it wasn't love.

"It's been great, Greg.", Dorian said and cursed at how pathetic he sounded, at how needy he was acting. "I want you to enjoy this. Nothing will change.", Dorian said.

Right from the beginning, he was never going to bring his feelings into this. Dorian gave him a small kiss on the forehead, before moving away and was ready to leave.

"Goodnight.", It felt hard to turn away, but he did.

Then, his heart began to race again. His hope was giddy and unrealistic, it was overwhelming the pain in his heart. He looked back at the hand that grabbed his own, preventing him to leave.

…

"Just look what I have done.", Greg thought.

He intertwined their hands, thinking back on all of his speeches on avoiding this very moment. How empty they all were.

"Tell me what you really want.", the Templar asked.

Dear lovely Dorian, he was shaking. He had involved him in this twisted fate. Wanted to be his friend? How he fooled himself with that innocent intent.

"It doesn't matter what I want." Dorian sighed. He felt his aura changed again, he was hopeful seconds ago, and now he was back with this heartbreaking feelings.

He made him felt this way, Greg said in his mind.

Dorian wished he would do as he predicted, but no, Greg stood up, looking at the mage with the same kind eyes he was familiar with.

"Tell me."

Dorian couldn't refuse him now, could he?

"I.. I like you. More than I should, more than would be wise.", Dorian admitted.

The blond closed his eyes, they had sealed this fate, he thought. When Greg opened his eyes, he felt his spirit was holding onto Dorian. He could not refuse this any longer.

The Commander pulled his hand to his lips, kissing them tenderly. Blue eyes full of dedication.

"You are precious in my heart, Dorian."

He promised to make this one better, he wouldn't repeat his mistake. He would protect Dorian and make him happy.

Dorian didn't resist, when the other man lead him back to bed. He couldn't fight the familiar heat to take him away once more.

However,

This time,

It was more tender than before, Dorian could feel his strong affection for him.  
The Commander was desperate to prove his feelings for him, there were no more hesitations in his eyes, no more holding back and just…

Dorian couldn't tell.

 _To be continued_

* * *

 **I love to imagine chanting Greg and his brothers as Gregorian (the band). Beautiful voices!**

 **Bull, Blackwall and Greg are such manly men.**

 **Dorian is so initiative, very upset for lazy Greg. (Jk, you know he have his reasons. But no! Romance stuff!)**

 **Adamant next! :O**

 **I hope you enjoy the fic!**

 **Thank you for the reviews, faves and follows!**


	16. Chapter 16 : Adamant Fortress

**Should I end the story at chap 15 and let them be happily ever after? Nah. Enjoy lovelies!**

 **(There wouldn't be enough love scenes between them if so!)**

* * *

The Warden stabbed the soldier, before he could climb up their walls. The man, who was wearing the Inquisition color, fell down to his death alongside his siege ladder.

The Warden frowned as he looked at the army of the Inquisition bellow, surrounding them like they were a threat to the world.

Yet, he found himself agreeing with them, he didn't feel like a hero tonight, nothing felt right in what they're trying to accomplish. He detested their orders to fight the Inquisition, and he loathed these demons.

The Rage Demon roared, daring the enemies to climb their walls. The Warden looked at it in disgust, then his eyes laid to the woman beside it. But, It's hard to keep his gaze on her, the woman who was binded to the thing. She was never the same after the ritual. The confidence in her eyes was no more, the life in them too. She looked empty.

Gone was the woman he loved.

The other Wardens were shouting, and made him looked above his head. The Warden squinted at the bright flame, but wasn't in a rush to move from his spot like the others. Instead, he dropped his sword. Welcoming the fire with open arms.

…

The trebuchets kept firing at the battlements and the towers, giving the Grey Wardens no time to breathe. The Inquisition hoped the order would surrender, stopping the needless bloodshed. They didn't want to hurt these good men and women, the very people who had sacrificed and protected Thedas from the Blights.

They were Heroes. And now, they were reduced to cannon fodders for an evil Overlord.

...

The Inquisition cheered after their battering ram smashed its way through the enemy's gate. Their soldiers finally breached through their defenses, making good progress as they entered the Fortress. And amongst them was an elven woman, their leader, their Inquisitor.

She averted her eyes from the cold bodies under her feet. So many people laid dead just to open a goddamn door.

She shared her wrath to the demons in front of her, raining down lightning bolts upon them. Then, her allies charged forward, slaying every demon and traitor in sight.

"Fall back, they're through!", One of the traitorous Warden shouted from the upper level. He quickly retreated back, probably out to get more reinforcements.

But, before the Inquisitor could continue with their siege of the Fort, Commander of the Inquisition military forces requested her attention. Commander Cullen informed her that their forces would hold the main host of demons, while the Inquisitor and her team reached for the Warden Commander Clarel. Hoping she would listen to reason, as Stroud said, ending this nightmare.

He then mentioned that they needed to clear the battlements in order to advance. Ellana nodded, understood what they had to do.

For a short moment, Ellana hold his hand, telling the Commander to be careful, before they departed to battle.

…

…

At the Battlements, in the east side.

"Incoming!", Varric warned them of the fireball from the trebuchet. The team took cover, and saw a few wardens got hit and were thrown off the battlements.

Ellana sounded the go, and they pushed on.

The Templar Knight Commander thrusted his sword to the binded warden, and then used his shield to deflect the mage's bolts to his right. Their fade expertise helped Ser Greggory when another demon stalked towards him. Solas turned the demon to popsicle, and it was shattered after an arrow pierced through it.

Stroud protected the dwarf while Varric kept on shooting the enemy. The last despair demon fell to the ground, and was finished off by the Templar.

"It's clear!", Dorian said, but didn't dismiss the fade around him just yet.

"We'll catch up to Hawke soon.", Stroud said, "I hope there will be more Wardens that will listen to us."

Ellana agreed. She would keep trying to make the Wardens see the truth, hurting them would be the last thing she wanted. There were some who listened, but too many had raised their blades, and died for nothing.

The Inquisitor looked at her team, she had to separate them into two groups, so they could cover both sides of the battlements. Ellana and her companions continued to head towards Hawke's location, where another battle was waiting for them.

…

She whispered a short prayer to the Creators as she stepped into the fight. Solas casted a barrier around his friends, shielding them as the pride demon stomped towards them. Varric aimed carefully, and shot one of the Warden spellbinder between the eyes, "Big fella coming!" he said.

"You don't say!", Hawke stated the obvious, while having a bewitched warden stuck upon his daggers. Poor sods, he thought after he freed his daggers, and then moved to his next target.

The pride demon was going to attack the Inquisitor and the Tevinter, before it heard a banging sound behind it. It glanced and saw the Templar who was hitting his shield. "Here demon! I will take full delight in killing you myself!", Ser Greggory taunted it.

The demon were easily attracted to the human's boasts, it was impatient to show the mortal its place. So, it turned to the Templar without even realizing the hurling fireball from the Tevinter. Growling in pain, it staggered by the unseen attack, and found itself surrounded. They showed the creature no mercy, thus it didn't take long when it fell to the ground, fading into nothing.

"That is smart, Commander. Using its own nature against it.", Solas praised.

"I've dealt with these demons.", Greggory said, and walked to the Inquisitor with Solas, "It is always useful to know your enemies. Their weaknesses are quite straightforward."

"Until they are not. How about less experimenting on demons, and more hitting actual people.", Dorian sassed, everytime the Templar ran off to the nearest demons, he was one step closer on having a heart attack.

"You know I can do both.", Greg said, kinda huskily.

Solas raised his eyebrow at that, while the other mage smirked and said, "Cute."

"I thought your men could use a bit of help up here."

They heard Hawke, and then listened as the Inquisitor requested the Champion's aid. Ellana instructed him to lead their forces, and to make a clear passage to the center of the fort. That way, she could reach Clarel.

Hawke approved of the plan, and would also try to keep the demons off their forces. He wished them good luck and reminded Varric to stock up his arrows, before he left them.

"Just one more area to clear. We're almost there.", Ellana said, and lead the group forward.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Finally, the Main Courtyard.

The Inquisitor successfully made it through the Courtyard, along with Stroud, Hawke and her small but fierce team. Unfortunately, if only they arrived a minute early, the Inquisitor was sure she could prevent that Warden from being sacrificed. She was upset, and things were getting out of hand, especially after they noticed the Veil, and the creature through it.

Greggory felt the fade, and was disturbed of what their ritual had created. He knew what the Wardens were trying to bring through the Veil.

"No.", the Commander whispered in horror. That Magister had fooled them in order to bring the last demon he would want to step into the Waking world.

Ellana ordered her team to stand their ground, even after the Magister demanded the Wardens to have them eliminated.

The Inquisitor sounded her intent to talk. So, she walked to them without her allies, claiming that she didn't want to fight them, but to reveal the Magister's dirty schemes.

Ellana reasoned with Clarel to see through the Magister's poisonous lies, she was binding herself and the other wardens to demons.

The Magister quickly mocked her, revealing that everyone knew about it. It was another sacrifice the Grey Wardens had to make to defeat the Blight, something that the world always seemed to forget.

Clarel remarked that they made plenty of sacrifices when no one else did, and they were used to how the world treated them for it. They didn't care how frowned upon their methods were, because ending the Blight permanently was too important.

But then, Clarel felt her confidence in the Magister faltered, when Stroud told her that she would bind them all to Corypheus. Magister Erimond denied it, coaxing her to believe him, and not the cunning Inquisition.

"Listen to me! I have no quarrel with the Wardens, I have spared those that I could. I didn't want to hurt you, but you're being used! And some of you know it, don't you?", Ellana tried again, this time to the other wardens in the Courtyard. Hawke and Stroud supported her, telling them this was all a trick to add more chaos to Thedas.

Erimond glared at the elf, when the Wardens started to whisper, more of them started to listen and to see the foulness of the ritual. Even Clarel doubted the need in using violence.

"Or perhaps I should bring in a more reliable ally."

…

...

…

"Duck!"

Greggory quickly did, and felt something warm went passed above him. He saw the fire bolt hit the despair demon, it flew away from him in panic, trying to put out the hungry flames in its body.

He gave an appreciative nod to Dorian, and pushed through the binded wardens. It felt like the Red Templars all over again. Like before, Greggory didn't have much choice, but to end their lives, end their imprisonment. Then, he became more concerned by the number of demons around them.

Fortunately, he had prepared a solution for this, but he had to ignore all of the risks in using this method to help their side.

The Commander used the Lyrium he brought. He knew that the Fort would be crawling with demons, so he brought one along, just enough dose to keep him sane, maybe.

He took a deep breath as he reached his spirit, feeling their connection got stronger. He needed the certain push nowadays, because of his humanity.

Solas and any mages would get suspicious, but he refused to think about that now. He tapped into the swelling power from his other side, and created a wide blast of his essence. It hit the demons like a huge wave, leaving them disoriented.

The Wardens, who sided with them, took the opportunity to overwhelmed the dazed demons. They didn't know what just happened, and no one got time to question every occurrence that kept popping up. Well, that dragon made it really difficult.

Ellana used her marked, and banished the pride demon, along with some shades. She then swiftly chased after the Warden Commander, calling her not to go alone. But, Clarel didn't slow down and kept chasing the fleeing Magister.

"Inquisitor!", Stroud shouted and asked her to wait. She either didn't hear him or ignore him.

"Come on, we have to follow her!", Hawke said, and followed the Inquisitor with the others. They couldn't let the Inquisitor out of their sight, and handled the danger on her own.

….

"I will never serve the blight.", Clarel stated to the Magister on the ground in front of her.

The Inquisitor and her companions thought it would be over now. The magister was outnumbered, and he had nowhere else to run. But alas, disaster decided to swoop in.

The red lyrium dragon made its corrupted self known when it suddenly trapped Clarel in its jaw. They tried to free her from it, before it flew.

"She's definitely done for.", Dorian commented when the dragon turned her into a ragdoll.

Clarel's body rolled on the ground in front of them after the dragon threw her from its jaw. She twitched slightly as her blood leaked to the ground. Stroud wanted to go to her, but was stopped by the Inquisitor. She warned them not to lose focus on the dragon, because it wasn't finished with just one Warden Commander.

It stalked towards Ellana and the others, forcing them to move back to the edge of the broken bridge.

Nowhere, but forward now. If they would die today, then they would die fighting, making it hard for Death to claim their life.

Ellana prepared her spell, and the mark. Hawke and Stroud about to charge to the beast. Varric aimed Bianca to the beast, and would follow Hawke's lead. Dorian felt the fade in his fingertips while making sure where the Templar was. Greggory would reach out to his spirit, perhaps meddled with the red lyrium once more. Solas was going to unleash the power he had left, hoping more would be awaken in his time of need.

But surprisingly, at the last second, the Warden Commander stirred, mumbling something before a huge explosion erupted from her, hitting the dragon at close range.

"Look out!"

They moved away as the dragon fell and rolled towards them, its massive body slammed the unstable structure and fell from the edge of the broken bridge.

All of them kept themselves from falling down as the bridge shook, and started to crumble down, planning to drag them down with it.

"Dorian, take my hand!", Greggory successfully grabbed his hand, and pulled him away from falling. Unfortunately, it did no difference when the stones under their feet also disappeared.

The bridge collapsed bringing along the Inquisitor and her companions. There was nothing to save them from the fall, and it's going to be a long way down.

Dorian swore something under his breath as he pulled the Templar closer. They were falling to their death, it was a pretty mediocre way to go, Greg suddenly thought. Although, it was the one death he didn't predict. He was expecting something more than falling from a bridge at a Grey Warden Fortress. Maybe, he should add in the tainted dragon to make it less dull.

Greggory hugged Dorian back, just as close, shielding his eyes from their doom. With so little time they had, he was about to pour his heart out to his dearest mage. Words was about to leave his lips when a blinding light appeared.

The air spliced open, revealing a gate to another world. A world that was also a home to him. And it was welcoming them, rescuing them from the fall.

"Now this. This is so like you." Greggory thought, speaking to the Gods that had been playing with his life since the very beginning. He expected something a lot more like this from them. This would make things a lot more complex, more interesting. He knew they hadn't lost their touch.

"You'll be safe.", Greg whispered to the man in his arms.

The Templar was ready for whatever came next. He would play their games if it would mean Dorian's safety. And he was determined to do anything.

"Whatever it takes." Greg thought as he felt the change in the air, a change he recognized all too well.

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

How could he forget this sensation. It had been so long since he felt so complete, Greggory thought as he felt the fade around him, returning the pieces he had been missing for the past years.

He didn't have to wonder long on what would happen if he was here physically, when he brought his human form to his true home. He thought it was impossible to do, just an idea he had entertained and discarded a long time ago. But now, here he was.

The Realm never welcomed him like this before, not even when he appeared as a spirit in its ever changing land while his human self dreamt. Everytime he returned, he always felt something was missing in him, more so as his human self grew.

So now, he was confused with all of the energies that was entering him. He couldn't remember how much power he had before he was thrown into his new life. Was it always like this, he thought.

Greggory couldn't be sure if this would be good or bad. He had no idea what would happen next, but falling like this, certainly brought back some memories.

A slow fall, Greg added.

The fade was clutching onto him dearly, like a mother that had lost its son. And Greggory didn't have any intention to push it away. He wanted it, half of him craved it so.

He felt the transformation inside him, like fingers clawing him, tearing him apart, but with a sweet promise on putting him back together with nothing amiss.

Dark clouds formed and was swallowing him, he saw it ripping his armor, his flesh.

"Greggory! What is going on?! Maker!", Dorian shouted in fear. He was still holding on to the Templar as he watched in horror, the man he cared for was being eaten alive by the air.

He tried to stop the dark clouds, but they continued to ignore the mage. Nothing he did can make them go away from his Commander.

Dorian gripped on his arms, a lot more desperately now. He needed to save him, but he couldn't think of anything else that he hadn't tried. He was losing him! Dorian thought, tears were forming.

"It… It's going to be.. o..okay.", Greggory whispered, his sight were completely swallowed by the darkness, but he could still feel the mage in front of him. He felt those delicate fingers clasped the both of his arms

Half of his body and head were covered in dark smoke, showing no signs on stopping. "I won't let you take him away from me!", Dorian yelled to the darkness, feeling his tears escaped him.

Yet the darkness didn't react to Dorian, showing the poor mage that all of his efforts were to no avail.

"Greggory! Can you hear me?!", the mage called out after his whole visor were taken by the clouds, continuing down his chest, more rapidly. "No!"

Then, he noticed Greggory's hand moved, searching for something. Dorian didn't hesitate to meet his hand with his. He brought his hand up to his lips and kissed it deeply, eyes were closed while he prayed for the nightmare to end.

"Amatus, bloody soft idiot. Please…"

However, his heart ached after he opened them back. Greggory was fully consumed by the darkness, but leaving him be to grieve.

Dorian flinched when the hand he held was gripping him back. Shortly, the clouds were moving erratically, they were spreading, growing bigger..

"W..What?", Dorian could only watch as he saw the stretched limbs beneath the smoke. They expanded, and changed the man into something that in no way human, not anymore. As the clouds faded away, Dorian could only stare in shock at him, no it.

The kind strong hand that he held was gone and was replaced by this horrific claws that could rip a man in half. Dorian regretted when he raised his head up. He hoped to see his stupid helmet, the one the Templar always seemed to be obsessed with. Sadly, there was no helmets, but instead, he found himself loss for words as he saw that faceless mask.

He couldn't tear his eyes away from its eye holes, where glowing blue eyes were staring down at him, staring through his soul.

He gulped, when he heard it growled, and wrapped its hands around him. Dorian was too afraid to struggle, so he let the creature pulled him closer. It was being so gentle with him, Dorian thought and felt himself slipping into madness, finally.

It was only after the creature's mask moved to look down, that he realized they were nearing the ground. Dorian felt the air heeded its command, and landed them smoothly on the ground.

The creature bent down, and was careful with Dorian. He didn't know what to think about that, even after it had set him down safely.

After that, the creature stepped back to give him some space, like it just knew that the mage was going to go insane.

It stood hunched, but still tall before the mage. It was twice his height, long thin but muscular limbs. It resembled more of a demon even with its armor. Not Templar's, but tribal ones made out of thick leather, metal, and ragged fur. Its armor looked like it melted in or grew out of its dark flesh. They were a part of him rather than mere accessories.

Then, there was that mask, it had a long sharp end that reached its equally long neck. Raven feathers covered the back of his mask. There were only eye holes and some words that were carved on it, but he couldn't understand them. Finally, the large antlers completed its creepiness.

A wild beast and a hunter, in one terrifying fusion. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before. Yet, the questions remained, why was it here and where was Greggory? Dorian demanded these answers, as well as for the other questions he had.

This was not the same compassionate Commander, not the man he shared his bed with, not the man that held him like his life was depended on him minutes ago. It was not even a man to begin with.

Dorian blinked as a new, but sickening theory appeared in his heart.

"Greggory?", Dorian called and looked into the glowing eyes, that hadn't left their sight on the troubled human.

"It is you, isn't it?", Dorian called again, his heart was telling him that he wasn't mistaken. Unconsciously, It made him moved to reach for the creature, touching its hand/claw again.

The frightening being could turn him into tiny meat cubes at any second, however, it did no such thing. Instead, the creature held the mage's hand back with such tenderness, the one he was familiar with.

"Dorian! Get away from him, demon!"

The Creature instantly let go of his hand, and stepped away from Dorian.

It calmly stared at the Inquisitor. It did nothing and remained still while the elven woman conjured a spell to banish it.

"Wait! Stop!", Dorian stepped into her line of fire and interrupted her.

"Step away, Dorian! There's a demon behind you!", Ellana ordered him, trying to get a clear shot, but Dorian kept getting in her way.

"Is he actually trying to protect it?", She began to think and finally ease her spell. Dorian was glad for that and scolded her for taking too long.

"What the..", Hawke and the others arrived behind her, wondering why the demon was still standing.

"Maker protect us.." Stroud mumbled, things were getting worse.

Varric shouted many curses in his mind right now, "I think this is the part where we kill the scary looking demon?", Varric suggested, wondering what's with the hold up.

"No!", Dorian shouted, but then felt embarrassed for raising his voice. "I don't think it want to hurt us."

His whole sentence made the others looked at him like he had lost his mind. Couldn't he see what that big creature behind him suppose to be. "Sparkler, listen to me, remember me? I'm your friend, you know, the dwarf one. We are in the fade, not your dreamy ones, but we're here physically. And that is a demon. We do not listen to demons.", Varric said, hoping the Tevinter wouldn't end up like his ancestors.

"Are you sure, Varric? I'm genuinely convinced this is one of my glorious dreams. Why, I was going to pop us all a mansion, I'll get myself a bowl of peeled grapes and have our hairy lummox feed me."

Ellana, Varric and Solas rolled their eyes simultaneously at Dorian's relentless flair,

"Yep, he's still Dorian.", Varric sounded the clear.

Ellana approached Dorian and the demon behind him. She thought it was troubling that it wasn't doing anything, just watching them in silence. What's more troubling, that she felt like she had met it before.

"Inquisitor, this is the spirit I warned you about.", Solas said beside her.

It didn't take the fade expert a long time to detect and to figure out the similarities between it and the spirit that had roamed around Skyhold from the fade.

And, it could also be the same spirit in a deer form that had saved their Inquisitor in Haven. Yes, he hadn't forgotten their first meeting. He had his suspicions with the spirit in Skyhold, and now he could conclude that they were all the same entity.

Solas felt ancient power laid within it. It might as well be as old as him? Solas couldn't tell. However, it was stronger now than the last time they met. He wondered if it had something to do with its current form.

"I have never met a spirit like it before. It will be wise to be cautious.", Solas whispered to the Inquisitor. He genuinely didn't know what it could possibly want from them.

That's unsettling, Ellana thought. Solas had no idea what it was, not even a little insight, that's definitely a first. But, if this was the same spirit that had been haunting Skyhold, then she thought that it could be the same spirit that 'help' her before, that spirit in a deer form.

She remembered that moment clearly, and assumed their Skyhold ghost was the same one, even though it hadn't visited her again.

Ellana knew their form was different, but its antlers remained the same. "We've met before, haven't we, spirit?", Ellana questioned the tall beast. The writings on its mask looked elven, but it was too far to be sure. "Why are you helping us? What is it that you seek?"

"Wait, what do you mean?" Dorian interrupted.

"Yeah, what DO you mean?!", Varric shouted behind them, keeping his distance with Hawke and the Warden.

"This spirit has been following us. I felt its presence in the fade, it lurks around Skyhold, watching us in our dreams.", Solas explained, "But, I didn't have any prove, and for that reason, I haven't shared this with all of you. I didn't want to assume."

Solas then looked at the spirit, "You are very good at covering your tracks, spirit."

"Varric, you told me there is only one spirit. What the hell?", Hawke asked the dwarf, while finding soft spots to stick his daggers to it.

The dwarf had given up on trying to make sense in all of this, "Eh, surprise?" Varric said, but then told the truth to the Champion, that he had no idea about this. He didn't plan any trip to the freaking Fade, how should he know about that scary demon.

...

All of them, except Dorian, raised their weapons when the spirit moved. It straighten its back, becoming taller than before. Its enormous antlers was mesmerizing as the rest of it, in a dark demonic, but beautiful way.

And so, it spoke.

A heavy and chilling voice found its way to them, freezing their very bones. The very same one from last time, Ellana and Solas thought.

"Aneth ara, Da'len."

…

 _To be Continued_

* * *

 **Greg must've been overwhelmed, it's been years since he was a full spirit. Now, what will happen between this spirit and Solas? Hm.**

 **Thank you, you wonderful readers,**

 **for reading, leaving likes, faves and comments.**

 **See you in the next chap!**


	17. Chapter 17 : The Fade

**Enjoy Lovelies!**

* * *

The air of the always changing realm entered the tall being whilst it breathed. The fade stuck close with the Spirit, pleased of its return. And unlike before, it wouldn't abandon the fearsome being.

Things had changed for the Spirit after it was free from its cage of flesh. It wasn't an outsider anymore. It wouldn't drift among the other spirits, finding no ground to take root.

Suffice to say, everything finally made sense to it again. And it was able to reclaim back its role without going against its nature.

It held nothing significant to the World beyond the veil. They were just trivial things it indulged, and not by choice, it added.

No need to dwell on them, the spirit decided, and was thankful that those nonsense came to an end.

It was glad to be back in its rightful place.

...

"Greggory?", someone called.

The name and that voice…

They suddenly brought back memories that belonged to a mortal, whom it used to be. The Spirit was caught off guard when they revealed the emotions that still existed, deep inside itself.

They created a void in the benevolent entity, made it questioned if it was truly complete.

...

...

The fade lost its attention when the Spirit was taken away by the human in front of it.

The mortal felt so distraught, hurt, but hopeful. He affected its emotions, turning them into a lonely and sad feeling. He placed pain in the Spirit's fluid form, when it shouldn't be possible.

The Spirit felt conflicted.  
Its part in that false life was over, thus, it should be clean from these useless attachments and memories. They were meaningless.

...

...

The Spirit's firm poise started to rock, after the dark haired human did such a bold action. It peeked at their connected hands, while a warmth sensation appeared and was spreading through its form.

The Spirit could neither admit nor deny its enjoyment of the pleasing feelings, but it was indeed puzzled by it. There's no point for any of these, so the Spirit failed to find any meaning behind them, or why the mortal should matter to it.

...

Right after that thought, more memories from its mortal persona, Greggory Cohen, invaded the stoic Spirit. Flashes of images forced it to relive its human life, shoving every experience of being a son to the Cohen family down to its throat.

Memories after memories, the spirit started to doubt itself and was at a loss.

Soon, the last image hit the Masked Spirit.  
This memory was about its mortal self, who was showing his love to the dark haired human. They looked very much at peace with each other.

...

"Dorian..", the Spirit recalled his name, and couldn't ignore the fondness for it.

It noticed that the human retained the same gentle look in his beautiful eyes. A curious thing, the spirit thought while unconsciously held back that small hand.

It couldn't contain the little purr, when the memory replayed, giving more detail than the first. It's rather sweet how the memories, Greggory had with him, comforted the bad ones.

No wonder its mortal self held Dorian in such high regard, hence his immense commitment to protect him, and to ensure his happiness.

The spirit came to envy what they had, it wanted what they had.

"What am I thinking? This is against my purpose.", the Spirit shoved away those inappropriate ideas, but that only backfired.

The mortal in him had woken up, giving the Spirit a sudden realization that the memories, about the life beyond the Veil, were its own.

It..No. He's Greggory Cohen, the only child of the Cohen family. He had gone a long way to get where he was now. And never once, he was bothered by being an Outsider in this Realm. His reasons to return here were always for the good of the Waking World, and never for the Fade.

"That life is not a pretense. It's my home, where my families are. I want to be alive again, alive and to be with him."

...

"Dorian! Get away from him, Demon!"

A warning from the feminine voice made the tall creature severed their connection, and then backed away from Dorian. It watched as the elven woman came stomping towards them, and was aiming her staff at it.

The spirit disliked her accusation, but the Inquisitor wasn't wrong.

It was a bitter reality, that despite its good impression of humanity, it would never be human. The appropriate term for it was an "abomination".

And it didn't need this horrendous form to become one, when it already chosen a life based on a lie for its selfish desires.

Ellana did nothing wrong for protecting the others from the likes of it. Yet, unexpectedly, Dorian stood in her line of fire. He was willing to risk his life for this abomination, never mind if he couldn't grasp what it was.

Believing that the Templar was within its vessel was a reason enough for him to defend the Spirit.

"Even in my current appearance, Dorian? You're wonderful.", The spirit thought, and tried to contain itself from hugging his precious human.

But speaking of appearances, the Spirit gazed at its claws. This form wouldn't be its first or even second choice. It seemed that this part of the Fade had coaxed out this terrorizing thing from it.

The nature of the fade reminded it about that demon in Adamant, Nightmare. It was sure of the Demon's dominance here.  
A more reason for Dorian and the others to get out of the realm, before the demon noticed their arrival in its territory.

...

...

"This spirit has been following us…"

The Spirit observed that the group was still busy with their discussions. It was about to interfere, but instead, it was drawn and got distracted by the dwarf's fears. It felt guilty for causing such stress to his friends.

Then, its attention shifted to the elven man, who was explaining what it was.

In this purest state, the usual barrier, that limited the Spirit's powers, had vanished. Therefore, it was able to see what was hidden from it before. And that's exactly what happened when it studied Solas, their wise and cunning Solas.

Even as Greggory, it sensed that there was something more about the simple elf than his vast knowledge of the fade. "You are not as unknown as you were before…Wolf. I see the pain you try to hide, your sadness for the elves. And, those potentials you wish to unlock.", the spirit mused as it continued to investigate the dormant energy.

The wolf was leashed, but the powers it possessed truly stunned the Spirit. It couldn't imagine what he was capable of without those restrains. His energy signature was unique and ancient, older than Corypheus, or even the Spirit.

"We have something in common after all.", The spirit thought, meaning that both of them didn't belong in this age.

Unfortunately, it couldn't uncover more of his secrets, because Solas had detected the intruder in his head. It desisted and left after he kicked it out.

...

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

...

The elf glared laser at the spirit.

He wanted to announce its insolent actions, but then reconsidered, since he didn't know what kind of information the Spirit had discovered from him.

Solas was irritated to be fooled twice by the creature, and how little insights he had about it. Obviously, he had underestimated the situation, evading him in the fade must have been a child's play for it.

As the spirit moved, he raised his staff. The Spirit spoke in perfect Elvhen, even though it had little to represent his people.

Luckily for the arrogant thing, the Inquisitor didn't outright attack it. She must have figured out that this was the same Spirit that saved her, which meant he had a new problem to deal with.

...

...

"Aneth era, dal'en.", the spirit greeted Ellana with its hauntingly rough voice.

Its faceless mask tilted slightly, when the Inquisitor looked unsure on how to greet it back.

"You feel uneasy? Have I bestowed any ill-will to you, da'len?", the spirit asked, hinting her nervousness.

Its familiarity assured Ellana that this was the same Spirit she met before. It was that deer. "If by ill, you mean almost crushing me with those claws of yours?", Ellana countered, making her companions eyed the spirit dangerously. She continued her words before things got ugly, "But, you did help me in Haven. Ma serannas."

The Inquisitor explained the crushing part to her companions, before she lowered her staff, "What shall I call you?"

That question made the Spirit approached the three mages. They stood their ground as it came near, looming over them with its glowing eyes and intimidating antlers. "The mortals gave me several names. But, you may call me as I am now, a spirit."

Then, its mask turned to their fade expert, "The fade lingers around you so naturally, lethallen. It recognizes you, like old friends."

"I have spent most of my time studying the fade, if that's what you mean, spirit.", Solas said in a neutral tone while he squinted his eyes at the spirit's games. It continued to avoid what just transpired with its coy act.

"What are you trying to do, hm?", Solas thought.

He could not predict the deer, but he hoped it was smart enough to keep its finding to itself. Nevertheless, he still sent his message, that he wouldn't tolerate the Spirit if it repeated its mistake. But, that came out more like a threat, definitely impossible for the Spirit to miss.

A smile appeared under its disguise, it tingled the spirit's grin of how much this bugged their cool Solas.

The threat was not necessary, it didn't want to expose the elf, even though it was itching to see how the wolf would dodge this.

The Spirit disregard the idea for now, and chose to deal with their Fade problem first.

With that in mind, it leaned back, and gazed to the distance. Its sight was fixed on something far away from them.

"What is it doing now?", Stroud asked.

"You're asking the wrong guy for this.", Hawke answered.

He, Stroud and Varric stayed behind the mages, and they were not comfortable with their interactions with that demon. He really hoped that these mages knew what they were doing.

Sweet Maker, he didn't need another possessed mage, or worst, another Orsino.

Shortly, the Spirit let out another growl, before it said, "Nightmare ruled this part of the Fade. The demon shapes the Realm's reality to suit its needs, helping it feed and grow fat.".  
The Spirit raised its arm to point at a spot in the grim horizon, where there was a small opening in the Veil.

"There. A small tear in the Veil, the Demon is using it to enter your world. I suggest you use its entry as your exit."

Ellana was disturbed by the information, and it also reminded her about the Warden's ritual. "Can it be the same rift in the Courtyard?", Ellana assumed outloud, and pictured that demon she saw through the rift.

"Yes, the spirit is referring to the same rift, Inquisitor. And it is possible for us to leave from there.", Solas confirmed with lack of enthusiasm.

"Well, I don't see other alternatives.", Dorian added.

True, there was none. And they didn't have time to find other exits. She couldn't let that Demon to step into Thedas.

"Egad. There's no other choice now, is there? ", the Inquisitor thought. She had to trust the Spirit, if she wanted to prevent Corypheus from having his army of demons.

"Is the demon getting close on leaving?", she asked the spirit.

"It awaits for the rift to expand. It will be wise to hurry.", the Spirit said, and then walked down to a path. It sensed another Spirit not far, she was also waiting for the Inquisitor.

The other Spirit had been following and aiding the Inquisition, even before Greggory joined them. She's a kind Spirit, so Greggory let her stay when they first met in the Fade.

There was sadness in the spirit's other half for whose faith she took shape from.

"Follow down this path, da'len. There will be a spirit who will guide you, she will keep you safe from Nightmare."

"Do we need this spirit help?", she asked, a little skeptical to find another helpful spirit in this part of the fade.

Her doubtful question created a creepy response from the spirit, it was laughing?

"You do.", it said simply, then faced the opposite direction from the path, "I wish you luck. Dareth shiral."

"You're not coming along?", Dorian quickly interrupted before it ran off. He made Varric twitched, when the Tevinter brazenly went into the creature's personal space.

...

…

The spirit halted, and glanced back at the human.

"Please take a better care of yourself, Commander.", the memory from that freezing tent echoed in the spirit's mind.

If it weren't for Dorian, the Spirit would have erased Greggory for good. He held it back from leaving his friends and families, leaving him. It was difficult to be away from him now, his dearest Dorian.

"I will keep Nightmare and its underlings away from you.", the spirit answered, and resumed on its way. It took a couple of steps, before it vanished into a thick smoke.

The Mage couldn't stop it, even if he wanted to. And by Andraste's burning socks, he couldn't let that Spirit wander off like that, not while Greggory was still trapped in it.

"Dorian, that Spirit didn't do anything to you, right?", Ellana asked the troubled man.

She didn't know what happened between the two, but she felt uneasy of how friendly they were. She trusted the Tevinter, but she feared if the Spirit tried to manipulate her friend.

"Fantastic.", Dorian answered sarcastically, "How can I not? That creature. And now, here we are in the Fade."

Ellana scratched her head, "I think I accidentally open a rift for us after we fell.", Inquisitor Lavellan said, it was that or death. "But, how do you know that Spirit?"

Dorian hesitated to tell the truth, due to his own confusion to the subject. He didn't want the Templar to get into trouble.

"I was falling, and that spirit helped me. I guess my 'damsel in distress' cry have its uses after all.", Dorian lied, and felt bad for it, to Ellana in particularly.

"It didn't try anything, not even a single deal.", Dorian scoffed, "It's doing a terrible job, like how can any demon pass up the chance to be me.", he smirked at their irk responses.

"Strange, how unfazed you are with its presence.", Solas added.

Clearly, he wasn't convinced.  
He couldn't believe it was that innocent, especially after that sudden change from the Spirit when Dorian spoke to it. He might be wrong about this, but the Spirit seemed to be fond of the human. "Fascinating.", Solas thought.

Dorian cursed mentally.  
Of course, their fade guru didn't buy it. "I don't know what else to say about that spirit, Solas. I reckon, it's better to have it fight other demons for us. But, I suppose… I won't mind having a friend like that."

"Stop right there, and throw away that idea, Sparkler.", Varric ordered, and made the mage shrugged. He tried to defend that it wasn't a horrible idea, but Varric assumed that he didn't just say that.

"Maker's breath, we are not going to do what that demon wants, right?", the dwarf looked at the Inquisitor, praying she would say the right thing.

"It's our best bet on getting out of here. So, stay on your guard everyone.", Ellana said, and glanced at the path. It was as gloomy as the rest of the place.

"I don't like listening to demons, Inquisitor. This doesn't feel right.", Stroud said to the Inquisitor, but still followed her down the path.

"I hope the next spirit we meet isn't as creepy. I know, I know, I'm asking for too much." Hawke said, getting sick of the fade already.

The group began to move down the path. The eerie surroundings kept them very watchful of any movements. All except Solas, who was finding a huge interest in their charismatic Dorian.

From his findings, Solas presumed that Dorian had something to do with that Spirit. And it was easy to suspect the human, since he once told him about his homeland common practices to bind spirits, turning them into servants or mere accessories.

Solas contemplated.  
If Dorian was involved, he would have to take drastic measures. He could not let them ruin his plans. The pieces he had placed carefully couldn't be all for naught.

...

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

...

Ellana shielded her eyes from her bright form, and then heard her say, "If you would, please tell Leliana 'I am sorry, I failed you, too'."

Divine Justinia, or the spirit that was born from her Faith, confronted Nightmare. She was sacrificing herself for their escape.

Ellana disapproved, and tried to stop her. She had done so much to help her and the people, it wasn't right that she had to go like that. But, the spirit had gone and done it.

Her light hit the smaller demon, sending it flailing to the ground. And then, she was face to face with the giant Demon.

They closed their eyes and looked away as she exploded into a blinding light, hitting the Demon at a close range.

After the light was cleared, both the Spirit and the Demon were nowhere to be found. However, the way to their exit was cleared.

"That thing is still moving!", Stroud warned the others of the smaller demon, who was recovering from the hit.

The Terror Demon hissed after it sights were back. It was hurt, but that didn't stop it from having another meal.

The Demon let out its banshee like screech.

But suddenly, a thick smoke appeared out of nowhere, and produced an equally menacing Spirit to pounced the Demon. Its claws pierced through the Terror Demon. It struggled and tried to stab the masked one with its spidery legs.

The Demon kept on wrestling its way to escape, while the spirit stretched out its own neck, tearing a new mouth from its jaw and down to its neck, showing of those sharp teeth that were drooling for a feast.

It screeched out in pain as the spirit chomped on its throat. It crunched down its flesh and bones, until… the demon evaporated to nothing.

The victorious spirit raised up, letting its mouth of horror merged back into a neck. Dark liquid rolled down from under its mask, when it turned to the shocked mortals.

"The way is clear. Hurry.", it encouraged, and then moved to run, it vanished again after the third step.

The Inquisitor and her team didn't know how to react to their savior, but it was right that they needed to get moving. Ellana ordered them all to head towards the exit.

...

Solas, Dorian and Varric stood before the rift, and would catch up their breath after the Inquisitor and her company joined them.

Ellana, Hawke and Stroud were still stuck in the nightmarish fog behind them, they called out for them to catch up.

Alas, a new disaster paid them a visit.  
Up above them, lightnings appeared and were striking the ground around Solas and the rest. The elven Mage saw one was heading right towards them, so he quickly conjured a barrier before it's too late.

However, his spell was cut off midway, when a puff of smoke emerged right next to them. They felt sharp hands, grabbing them and lifted them off the ground. Soon, they were heading into the rift.

...

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

...

"Ouch!", Dorian yelped as soon as his back landed on the stony surface.

He cursed, but couldn't comfort his aching body, not with the angry crowd around him.  
He was back in the Fortress, and also in the middle of a heating battle.

The Inquisition forces and the Wardens were fighting against the Demons, the Binded Mages and Wardens. Everything was a huge fiasco.

"Seriously?!", Dorian couldn't get a break, not for a second, because a Shade Demon was rushing towards him. He began to crawl backwards, trying to evade the Demon. It almost had him in its clutches, before something ripped it apart, killing it almost instantly.

Dorian gulped and looked up to the ominous mask. The Spirit had followed them out of the Fade.

He swiftly got up, and watched as the Spirit towered over the demons. It let out a piercing cry, and gained both the demons and the men's attention. The predatory Spirit launched itself to the nearest demon, and slaughtered them viciously.

"Sparkler!", Dorian glanced to his right and saw Varric. They shared a look and agreed that this wasn't looking too good.

"For fuck sake! I'm happy to see you guys okay, but do you have to bring that thing along?", Iron Bull said. He definitely didn't like the new and way more ferocious demon. It just squashed another demon with its strength.

"I'm asking the same thing to myself, Tiny.", Varric replied, and saw some of the demons started to flee from their unlikely savior.

However, either it was luck or some shit like that, the Spirit left the Inquisition and their allies alone. It ignored them, despite their efforts to hurt it. The men backed off after it growled them a warning, putting out their courage to try again.

Satisfied with frightening the poor slobs, it continued to hunt for more demons, and some of the binded ones too.

"At least, it's in our side.", Dorian said as he started to cast a few spells at the possessed Wardens.

"You're getting too attached to that thing, Sparkler.", Varric said, disapprovingly, and shot the binded mages.

In each arrow, he kept peeking at the green portal, demanding where were Ellana, Hawke and Stroud.

"Where's the boss? I didn't see her or Greg with you.", Iron Bull asked after another binded Warden fell before his axe.

"Greg? Cub isn't with us, and…", Varric turned quiet after he looked back to Dorian.

He wasn't there anymore.  
Varric scanned around the battlefield for the flashy mage, but still no sign of him.

Then, it got worse.

The masked demon had disappeared too.

"Shit!"

"What?"

...

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

...

The tall creature sprinted this time, and pushed through every soldier in its way. The men tumbled down and were shocked after they saw the assaulter. It was fortunate of them, that the Maker heard their prayer, and made the big scary demon paid them no mind, leaving them in one piece.

Not long after that, one of the Inquisitor's companion showed up, and he was hot on the creature's trail. He was actually trying to chase down the blasted thing.

Dorian told them everything was under control as he ran passed them, and towards the demon.

...

...

"Slow down! Hey!", Dorian shouted, while chasing it.

The chase started after the spirit abruptly left the battle. He didn't know what happen, it was fine killing demons a minute ago.

Dorian was aware that this was not a very bright idea, he was following an unpredictable force of nature, alone. But, it forced his hands! He couldn't risk losing it, and let it harm his Commander.

So, screw danger, the creature would not have Greggory.

After a few turns, Dorian was led to the empty part of the Battlements, far away from the fight and the people. It's plain to see that it wanted some privacy, so it could eat him in peace.

Dorian breathed in some oxygen into his wilting lungs, after the Spirit ceased its running. He thought the bloody thing would never stop.

The Spirit staggered, while Dorian gripped his staff, ready for the worse. But then, the creature just fell down to its knees. There was a slight tremble in its big posture, but it remained down. It didn't even react to his steady advancement towards it.

The Altus Mage felt uncomfortable after he was near enough to receive the Spirit's rampaging aura. He studied it for a second, observing the disoriented essence that materialized from its body.

"Dorian. Not another step."

The Mage jumped in alarm, and quickly glanced back to meet the added company. It should be a relief that he had someone to deal this with, but he felt otherwise after he saw Solas.

He frowned at the elf, who was pointing his staff right at his face. It's clear that he would not shy away from violence if needed.

"Ah, Solas. You startled me. You're always so... nondescript.", he told the serious elf.

"Why are you following the spirit?", Solas asked, ignoring the mage's playful remark. He didn't lower his staff, or changed his target.

"What are you doing? Do kindly point that thing somewhere else.", Dorian said, sounded unamused now.

"Fenedhis. Answer the question, Dorian. Do not make me regret this.", Solas warned with a deadly look in his eyes.

"N..No need for that! I saw the spirit is in pain, and..", Dorian started, but was cut off by a whimper from the Spirit.

"See!", Dorian gestured to the huge wreck behind him, "We have to help it.", Dorian reasoned and hoped the elf would agree. But, Solas didn't abandon his defensive posture.

"Tell me the truth, what is that spirit to you?", Solas said, sounded very cold and dangerous.

Dorian looked at the elf's hostile attitude with utter disbelief. He predicted that the Fade Lover would agree to help the spirit. Didn't it help them? It saved them more than once too.

"Are you quite serious?!", Dorian said, bewildered. He rubbed his temple when more stress appear, "I don't know what you're insinuating, but the Spirit isn't my anything. It helped us, and is it a crime if I want to return the favor?"

Solas thought on his answer, but Dorian had no desire to wait until he was finished with his grand revelation. "Whatever. I don't care if you're not going to assist me."

He turned away from the elf, and couldn't help but feel nervous. He was able to breathe more freely after Solas didn't do anything to stop him.

The Mage stood beside the Spirit, and had to withstand the heavy air around it.  
It kept its head down and sights were focused to the ground. It remained unresponsive to him, even after he was within its reach.

Dorian noticed that its form was wavering with little statics shooting out of it. The signs suggested that the spirit was at the brink of transformation, before something went wrong and it was stuck in this state.

"How can I help?", Dorian tried to communicate, but it gave him no answers, just sounds of its heavy breathing.

"It is losing its hold on the Fade, and the reality of our world is crushing it.", Solas explained and was standing next to the Tevinter. Dorian glanced at him while the elf examined the Spirit with a calm expression.

...

Solas eyed the spirit before his feet, seeing that it had lost its superiority and was reduced to a whimpering pup.  
Still, the spirit's actions had been interesting to observe. But, Solas couldn't sympathize with the deer, since it had inflicted this onto itself. It could avoid all of these if it returned to the Fade. The rift was not far, it could leave at anytime.

And just as he anticipated,

it ran away from the rift.

The spirit made its intent clear, that it wished to stay in this world. Yet, he didn't know for what reason. Could it be, that the deer was just like any other demons, who craved for an opportunity to be alive?

That idea didn't make much sense for him. The Spirit was powerful, it would easily take over Ellana in Haven, or any of the mages in Skyhold.

It had bigger motives than that, Solas decided.

"And, it doesn't seem possible to bind the Spirit. Perhaps, Dorian was telling the truth.", Solas thought.

It would be more believable if it was the other way around.

And that thought made him worry for the human. The night was still young, and the Spirit had showed its interest towards the young man.

He couldn't time it better, when the spirit's enormous energy became wild. "Dorian, we need to make some distance with the spirit. The shock caused by our World would agitate it to be violent. We can't predict what it will do, either on purpose or not.", Solas said, and urged Dorian to move away.

"Dorian. Solas. You are back."

Another newcomer decided to join in with the debacle.

The two gentlemen weren't eager to be caught in a compromising position. They scrambled away from the Spirit, but before they could correct any misunderstandings, they realized it was only their puzzling rogue.

...

...

Cole finally found Dorian.

He had been searching for him, after he felt his stressful thoughts about his Templar friend. He was with Solas, but Greggory wasn't with them.

At first, he wasn't sure what they were doing with the Spirit behind them, but after taking a closer look, he identified whose chaotic aura it was.

"Cole is a spirit! Maybe he can help it?", Dorian suggested.

"And risk Cole in the process? He can get caught in its confusion, or worst, it will respond to Cole's help aggressively.", Solas refused his idea.

They continued to discuss for a solution, and failed to acknowledge that Cole had slipped pass them, and was in front of the Spirit. The rogue whispered his name, but it didn't respond. He tried to reach out to Greggory, but its form was too erratic.

"It's happening again, but, different this time. There are two of you, when it should be one. They are undone, seeking balance, but it is hard.", Cole blurted out.

"What happened?", Cole asked the two mages, his eyes were pleading for an answer.

"This happened before?", Dorian thought.

Of course! How could he forget that these two were inseparable. Naturally, Cole would know of this, and that fact made him more upset. It showed just how little he knew about Greggory.

He hated for being so useless. He felt so defeated that he couldn't do anything to help the man he cared for.

But, he needed to concentrate right now, because Cole was his only chance to save his Commander from this thing. He had to tell him what happened, even if Solas was listening.

"We entered the fade physically. I don't know why or how, but he changed into this.", Dorian explained, and was rewarded with a new look on Solas face.

The elf had no luck on deciphering his babbling, "He? Who are talking about?!", Solas pushed.

...

"Dorian…"

...

His name slipped out from the scary mask.

Its voice remained rough, but under it all, the Mage detected something human. And he was calling for him.

"No, don't..", Solas tried to stop him, but Dorian was already beside Cole.

He understood that Solas was looking out for him, but he couldn't overlook how pitiful and lonely it just sounded.

This might as well be a bait, that was more than obvious, yet, the thought of his Amatus made him disregard all logic about its demonic aspects.

He ignored every red lights as he kneeled down to its level, "I'm here, Amatus. I'm here.", Dorian soothed, and rested his hand on its arm, despite the elf's protest.

There was static in its rustic armor, it travelled to his hand and then through his whole body. It wasn't a painful sensation, but he couldn't get use to it either.

Not long after, his recklessness finally brought back malice to him, and he was too late to avoid it. Dorian couldn't move a single muscle on his body when the darkness consumed him.

...

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

...

"W.. What? Where am I?", Dorian blinked, and after the third time, he was presented with a magnificent view.

The mage stood on a lush grassy field that was surrounded by a forest, and in the middle of it, there was an enchanting lake with water as clear as the skies above. Then, there was a figure, who was sitting near the lake.

All of them created a pretty picture, Dorian thought, and felt a gust of wind blew his hair.

The Mage dared himself to walk to the stranger.  
The wind caused the feathers in their back to flutter, waving a welcome to him. He was able to get a better look at the Stranger, after he was beside them.

In spite of their human features, or maybe elven?, Dorian saw some similarities between them and the Spirit. The tribal armor and mask were identical, although they were nicer to look at now, and smaller.

Dorian was sure about the Stranger's identity, and he wasn't surprise with the different look. Its kind loved to change their appearances to accommodate their goals, or to trick their prey.

"I didn't mean to bring you here, Dorian. I apologize for causing so much trouble.", the Spirit said.

Dorian was okay with this spirit taking a more friendly looking body, but it crossed the line when it used Greggory's voice.

However, the accent was different, it didn't sound Orlesian, it was something else he had never heard before.

But that's beside the point, the Spirit was underestimating him, he would not be coaxed with a cheap trick like this.

"Who are you? And what have you done to Greggory?", Dorian asked, but still with care, no matter how pissed he was.

He gathered as much that he was inside the Spirit's mind, which meant he would need to tread carefully, or he could end up being possessed.

The Stranger gazed up to him, Dorian could see the same glowing blue eyes in the smaller mask. Then, unexpectedly, they patted the ground beside him, "Come sit.", he said with his appeasing voice, beckoning Dorian to the spot.

Dorian showed no expression at the offer, he didn't want to prolong his stay here, but it wouldn't be wise to upset the Spirit.

He didn't like this, but he had to follow through its odd requests if he wanted to get any information.

Seeing no other choice, he sat down on the grassy ground next to them. And, as soon as he did, he felt statics from him, the exact same ones that brought him here. Yet, they were more stable this time, moving in a peaceful harmony.

The Spirit didn't comment on the human's curious eyes, they went back to marvel the beautiful lake, sighing in content.

"What is this place?", Dorian found himself asking, after he followed the Spirit's gaze. He couldn't deny that the view was breathtaking.

"A world from so many ages ago. And probably, some parts of it became Thedas.", they said a bit mournful, "I was born in this world. But, this is the one place that held only good memories."

...

...

"You really are not supposed to be here.", the Spirit suddenly repeated when the air stirred around them, and the winds were getting aggressive, "Everything will be fine soon. The beast you saw will be no more. I...".

Dorian wanted them to be clear with their words, but decided not to say anything, after he saw the stranger was taking off his mask.

The black feathers managed to hide his long golden dreadlocks, and that mask was concealing the face which he had been missing all night.

"Greggory!", Dorian said gleefully, and leaped to hold the man close. "I thought I lost you.", he confessed, feeling tears in his eyes.

He didn't expect his emotions would react so strongly. It was not a smart move, he shouldn't have let his emotions take over him like that. The man he was holding might not be the real thing.

But damn it all, he thought after he felt the little vibration from his chest before Greggory chuckled.

"I didn't leave you. I will never do such a thing.", he said and held the Mage.

His claim made Dorian thought back about the fade, about the tall masked creature, "That spirit is you?", Dorian asked, and then drew some distance to look at him. Blue light had replaced his two beautiful blue orbs, hinting that he was not entirely human.

"And, the things you just said about this place. What are you trying to say?", Dorian said while their hands remained locked with each other.

He felt fear, after he filled in the blanks by himself. He wanted Greggory to reassure him, he needed to know that things would be okay, that he would be okay.

Greggory rested his hand on his cheek, stopping those stressful wrinkles from ruining his handsome face, "It is difficult to explain."

...

Dorian gripped on his hands after the wind went berserk, and was trying to separate them. "Wait! No!", he yelled after his body just floated off the ground.

"I have so much to tell you.", the man whispered while the scenes around them were fading.

Then, he released their hold.

...

Dorian desperately reached for the blonde as the wind blew him away. He failed to show his anger to the man, and could only see that gentle smile of his before the darkness took him back.

...

...

...

"Kaffar.", he muttered, feeling the incoming headache.

The mage wrinkled his brow as he tried to recollect himself. He noted that this would be his least favorite activity.

Then, he checked his surroundings, "I'm back.", he thought.

He was back in the Battlements, and in front of the Spirit with his hand on its arm. Cole was watching him with worry, but it seemed that a minute hadn't passed here, since Solas wasn't giving him the stink eye.

He wasn't given any time to recover, because the spirit began to shift from its frozen state. Dorian quickly retreated his hand, before he lost them.

"He finds balance.", Cole chirped in.

The masked Spirit was engulfed in light, and was changing its form. Then, not a moment later, Dorian was reunited with that man by the lake.

The masked man glew bright, and raised his head to meet his eyes. The Mage could still feel the warmth from their embrace, making it hard to avoid his touch.

The spirit's hand found its way back to his cheek, continuing where they left off before. It was silly that the gesture made Dorian so flustered, and melted into his palm.

The Spirit's essence lingered around them, sticking comfortably near Dorian. But, that masked man didn't stay for long, because it started to shift again, and changing into its final form.

"I'm sorry.", the Templar whispered, after that mask was replaced by a steel helmet. Dorian couldn't believe how much he missed that stupid thing.

"Bastard.", Dorian replied, and pulled the hand on his cheek, making the Templar tumbled forward.

Greggory didn't stop him when he threw away his helmet, but was surprised when Dorian buried himself in his neck.

"Thank you for staying.", Greggory whispered as he rubbed his soft hair, hoping he could comfort him, even just a little.

Dorian deepen their embrace, he would not let him slip away for the third time. "I swear, you are bloody frustrating!" Dorian accused weakly.

"I know. But, I am here now, Dorian." Greg said affectionately, and gently pushed him so their eyes could meet. Green saw glowing blue ones.

"They are pleased now. They want Greggory more than the Fade. I'm glad they do.", Cole said happily. His friend was safe and sound, but the new things from the Templar concerned him. "But.. Who are they? I don't understand."

"You are not the only one, Cole.", Solas commented, breaking their tender moment.

The elf had a lot to process, and all of them produced such exhilarating results. "What exactly is this, Commander?", Solas asked, a bit impatient and very much intrigued.

He took a cautious step backwards, before the humans got up from the ground. There was no difference in their aura, Greggory and that spirit, both of them shared the same essence, both of them were the same being.

It was laughable that a human could make him feel uneasy, yet he did. The Commander's glowing eyes were trained at him, reminded Solas of the secrets he had uncovered.

"What a surprising coincidence to have you here too, Solas.", Greggory said in a neutral tone.

"Did I make things complicated for you, spirit?", Solas replied calmly.

Dorian didn't like the intense air these two conjured, "Let's play nice now. I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation, right Commander?", He reasoned after he stood between them.

Solas raised his brow at the Tevinter, "You spoke the truth then, that you don't know about this?"

The question made the human Mage snorted, "Hah! We both been lied to, my friend.", Dorian said, his tone was bitter.

Greggory felt the stab from his words. He should have known this was bound to happen sooner or later. It was inevitable not to hurt them with his lies.

"I predicted wrong, that I would never need to explain my conditions to anyone. But, I mean no harm! I hope you will listen to what I have to say.", the blond Templar said.

"We're listening." Solas deadpanned.

...

However, a huge cheer erupted from the main Courtyard, and they could feel that the Veil had grown stronger.

"The Inquisitor closed the rift. We won.", Greg informed them, and could sense her anchor.

He also sensed that the others were asking for them. It seemed that there wouldn't be enough time for this.

"I don't want to use this as an excuse, but the Inquisitor is looking for us. I'm afraid, we have to postpone this.", Greg said, and then closed his eyes.

The Mages could feel that he was collecting his pouring essence, and was deleting any traces that could point others to the Spirit. His eyes weren't glowing anymore after he was done.

"There are soldiers who are searching for us. I think the Spirit has them spooked.", Greggory said, giving more reason to delay this.

Solas was a bit relief that Dorian had no part in this, it saved him for unwanted scenarios.  
However, he didn't want to give the deer time, and let him came up with something that could endanger his mission.  
But then again, he did possess the deer's precious secrets too. They would be useful for him should the Commander tried anything.

Thus, Solas reluctantly accepted his suggestion, "Skyhold then. Not a day later.", he ordered, and then walked away without any added threats.

Greggory watched the Wolf retreated, he was letting him savor this win, for now. It was rather amusing how they ended up discovering each other secrets.

Regardless, he wasn't looking forward to what the future had in store for them.

"He can be patient, but not I. You can't imagine how infuriated I am.", Dorian stated, and crossed his arms. "How foolish, isn't it? That I believed you trust me.", he scoffed, when he remembered what the Commander told him the other day, "You did warn me that night."

Their last audience looked at the Tevinter and the Templar, then back at the Tevinter again. He wanted to help them be friends again.

"Amatus, return back to me. I can't lose you.", Cole said out of the blue, and made Dorian blushed in embarrassment.

"Cole. Not now.", He told the Rogue.

"But, you are not angry with him. You are..-" "Cole! Please.", Dorian quickly cut him off, and made the other spirit pout, while playing with his fingers, nervously.

"It's alright, Cole. You have nothing to worry about.", the Commander patted his hat, erasing that pout away.

Greggory then gazed at the mage, a large guilt was visible in his eyes. "I trust you, Dorian, with all my life, my very ether.", he said, walking closer to Dorian, the gap between them was smaller now.

Greggory smiled sadly after he saw Dorian's puffy eyes, "I never wanted to hurt you, but my lies have taken root even before we met. And I.. I don't want you to feel disgusted by the truth. I don't want to lose you...", Greggory confessed, and reached out to hold his hands.

Dorian's heart ached, because of those expressions. He wanted very much to swat away those lying hands, but he didn't find the strength to do it.

"I promise, I will tell you everything. And, whatever you decide later, know that my feelings for you are real.", Greggory said, and then let out some of his essence to travel to the Mage, letting him know how much he meant to him.

Dorian felt his aura traveled to him from their connected hands, and it brought only pleasant things to his heart. It was a lovely feeling, impossible to ignore or not to fall in love with.

"You're wicked, you know that?", Dorian commented at his attempt.

Greggory let out a nervous laugh, "I'm desperate.", he replied.

Dorian was disappointed in himself for giving Greggory such an easy pass. He couldn't even control his racing heart after that cute look appeared.

"You will be the death of me.", Dorian said before he closed the gap between them. Their kiss was tender, and unfortunately, short.

They could hear footsteps not far, so Dorian had to part away from those soft lips.

"I want the whole truth.", Dorian reminded him again.

"You will have it.", Greggory promised again.

 _To be Continued_

* * *

 **Solas is not pleased, but intrigued.**

 **Next will be more about his Spirit and Solas. And the next main mission will be the Game!**


	18. Chapter 18 : Destiny

**NOTE : Speaking Elven language in Italic**

 **Enjoy, Lovelies!**

* * *

Somewhere in the Dales,

Near a stream in the middle of the forest,

A fellow human was sitting on a rock all by himself. He was enjoying his quiet day under the cloudy skies. The weather brought a sleepy vibe to the lush forest.

It was brave of him, or perhaps a tad bit foolish, to be exploring alone. But, it seemed that he was expecting an eventful day, he did dress like he was capable on handling a few Bandits. Therefore, he wasn't really surprised, when someone came to ruin his peace.

The not so ordinary human didn't need to move from his cozy rock to detect his guest, who was hiding under the shadows of the Forest. Instead of confirming this, he only raised his right hand, and signaled the other to join him by the stream.

Undoubtedly, his arrogance irked his guest. He was reluctant to give the human any satisfaction. Nonetheless, he eventually stepped out of the shadows.

...

The Masked Man waited as the footsteps got closer, and closer.

Reading the aura beside him, he was sure of the other's identity. They had planned to have this meeting, but the time wasn't right, this was too early.

"You've ventured far just to follow me. Clearly, there is something you want to say.", the Warrior said to his guest, and was waiting to be showered by questions. However, it didn't come to that, the Elf was taking his sweet time.

Solas looked composed, and was admiring the view before them.

He might act like so, yet Greggory saw the distance he made between them. He couldn't dismiss the possibility of a rough turn in their encounter. He hoped it wouldn't come to that, a nice chat was what he after.

"You've made it easy, Spirit. Is there a reason to lead me here?", Solas insisted his suspicion, he wasn't blind to the Spirit's games.

"I wanted to make sure, if a wolf was really spying on me.", Greggory stated with little amusement, "But truly, I brought you here, so you won't get into any trouble for my sake, Solas. This part of the Realm is neutral."

Sure, the Rift Mage was hiding a possibly dangerous secret. And sure, they were never close to begin with, since Greggory always kept his distance from the Fade Expert. But apart from those, Solas never had any ill-will towards him, and he did fight alongside the Inquisition.

"How considerate of you.", Solas replied, sarcastically, "Then, this illusion suppose to make me feel safe? Forgive me, if I feel the opposite."

The Mage was eager to guide this conversation towards that unpleasant path. Greggory felt naive for hoping things could go on peacefully.

"A shame. Still, I have faith that you can handle some danger. This is like a walk in the park for you, isn't it?", the Human replied.

The Wolf didn't like what he was insinuating, though he decided to ignore that. He wouldn't let the Spirit distract him from what's important.

"I saw you retreated back to your tent, yet here you are, Commander.", Solas started a new topic. He had been pondering about how that worked. He would need Lyrium to enter the Fade, an easy thing to acquire with a man in his position. Although, it was strange that his rituals had gone unnoticed by him or the other Templars.

"This is a surprise for me too. After what happened in Adamant, I didn't think I can return here again.", Greggory lied. Honestly, he had a hunch about it, when his spirit side remained after the Fade incident. Normally, it should have left him completely, after his choice for humanity. Returning here had proven him wrong about that, his connection to his human self was there, and so was his strong bond with the Realm.

"Tell me, how do you enter the Fade?", Solas added, and showed he wouldn't back off until he got the answers. That definitely didn't slip the Spirit's attention.

Greggory would like to avoid anything drastic from the Elf, so he decided it wouldn't hurt to tell him about the basics, hoping it could satisfy the pushy Mage for now.

"I do not know what to call this, it is still a mystery for me. I have no control over my stay in this Realm. When my human body falls unconscious, I will wake up here as a spirit. I will always return to my human life as soon as it wakes up.", Greggory explained, and the Elf thought on his statements, taking the information better than he expected. Though, he wasn't sure if he would simply accept them without question.

Solas was having a hard time on processing his findings. Either the Human was lying, or he never met anything like him before.

He would eliminate that last option, if this new world hadn't proved him wrong on a few occasions, and how he suffered terribly from them. Thus, he didn't close the possibility that the Spirit was a special case.

Apparently, it was a mistake to try and compare him with Cole. Both of them might conjure a new form of their own in the Waking world, but it's obvious that the Deer was far more experienced. It showed from his flawless performance as the Commander, he even acted on the petty needs of a living being.

He would never see through his disguise, if he didn't catch him in Adamant. He even failed to see through the Commander's close friendship with Cole, thinking he was more open minded than most Templars.

No doubt, he was more a human than a spirit. But, it was unsettling how he held on to both aspects. Even now. He remembered Cole's words that they were in balance with each other.

It was a disturbing found, if not impressive.

"That's unusual, indeed. What do you feel when you're in the Fade?", Solas wanted to continue with his investigation.

Unbeknownst to him, the Masked Spirit was not as enthusiastic.

"Aren't we supposed to be having this conversation in Skyhold?", Greggory asked back, and would prefer if they followed that schedule.

His protest made the Mage raised his brow, "Why would I endanger myself with such promise? It is merely to appease you, so you wouldn't harm Cole and Dorian."

...

The sound of the flowing stream filled the silence. There was no way they could turn back now.

Solas watched the man, when he made a move from the rock. Dark feathers in his tribal armor fluttered as he get up. The Mage noticed the Fade was flowing around him, ready to heed his every command.

"You sounded paranoid, Solas. They are never in danger from me.", Greggory defended, then glanced at him, "And, do not act so innocent. You know very well, that the both of us are walking down the same road. We've lied and deceived them."

Solas smirked at the Deer's active imagination. He had the gall to try and put him in the same level as he, when he didn't know what was at stake.

"Do not assume what you don't understand, Spirit.", Solas scolded, and turned to face his mask. He was starting to get irritated by his big head.

Greggory didn't shy away from his intense gaze. He was a bit pleased when their Rift Mage showed some emotions. It told him that he didn't want his secrets to spread.

He might not know the whole story, but he didn't lack either. That dormant powers was Elvhen, he would know, since he had lived through the Elvhen's cruelty, and the danger of their magic.

"I do understand that you are not an ordinary apostate. You are older than the others, older than me. I sense the Elvhen in your..", before Greggory could finish, he paused at the sudden hostile aura.

Solas was looking at him with hateful eyes, " _What do you know of my people? Don't you dare speak of them with your ignorance. You are not of my kind._ ", he warned in his tongue, plain to see that his composure had left him.

The situation was most likely to get worse, because the human started to lose his cool too. It was like a sudden slap to the face, when he was reminded of the past. The one memory he didn't wish to revisit, not in this or any other lifetime.

It felt like forever since he heard anyone used the language so fluently, so precise. However, that wasn't the only factor, there was something else from the prideful elf that reminded him of the… Elf Lords.

And because of that, his next action was purely based on his boiling emotions.

" _It must have been a great shame to see those flaws in your perfect blood. You paraded on your superiority, and it eventually led to your downfall._ ", Greggory spat in Elven, and this time, Solas replied with other than his words.

The Mask turned stiff as he froze on the spot, then he felt the pressure, trying to crush him. Solas had casted a spell to paralyze him in a crushing prison. His patience was not limitless, and the Spirit just went over the line. He would not stand idly, while his insolence disrespected his people.

The ticking bomb finally exploded, after the Spirit resolved the dispute with even more violence. He was tired of being nice, and so, he fought back.

Solas took a step back, when the Spirit struggled, and broke free of the spell. Their gaze were locked with laser beams shooting from their eyes and at each other. They were too affected by their heated emotions to consider a more mature alternative on approaching this.

The Mage was the first to make a move, and used ice magic to hurled large ice missiles at the Warrior. He dodged most of them, then shattered the rest with his claws.

His right arm had turned into a monstrous claws, thick flesh infested half of his arm. He shook off the ice, and swiftly charged to his target.

He grunted as a strong force was pushing him away. It was Solas, he had casted another spell, and created an invisible force to throw him back. The Mage prepared a follow up attack, while the masked man recovered from the shove.

" _Why are you here, Solas? Why bring back the power that caused your people's demise?_ "

Solas heard the Warrior asked, and saw that he was not attacking. He used the short break to breathe away his immature rage. He was embarrassed for the slip, and for letting this human gained the better of him.

"You are so bold with your dense words.", Solas thought, and wondered if the Man truly believed the nonsense he was spouting.

" _You are so vocal with your judgement of my people, I'm almost convince you know better than I. But, I must be mistaken, since you can't figure out the answers to those?_ ", Solas mocked, and was satisfied when the other had nothing smart to say.

However, he did feel the Spirit's manipulation over the neutral Fade, and it was responding to him far better than the last time they saw each other.

"For my safety, he said.", Solas rolled his eyes at the thought.

Nevertheless, he had to disrupt their balance soon, if he wanted to gain the upper hand. The Elven Mage was about to execute his new plan, but then, his opponent vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving a puff of smoke behind.

Solas frantically checked his whole surrounding, trying to find his whereabouts before he struck. Unfortunately, the Spirit confirmed him again of how good he was at hiding his tracks. He lost sight of him, and couldn't predict where his next move would be.

...

...

The Wolf caught a glimpse of his essence, but it was far too late to act now. The odds were against him, he couldn't avoid or deflect his attack.

He heard movements, someone was towering behind his back. Seeing no other way, he would let the human have this little win, his last one. He promised not to be so sour about the pain.

A minute passed, and still nothing. The Spirit had all of the advantages, yet he squandered them. The Mage could feel him creeping behind him, it was insulting to be toyed like this.

With one careful glance, he was greeted by a large clawed hand. His instinct told him to get away, even if the human would rush in and grab him.

Luckily, he was wrong yet again.

Greggory didn't follow him when he drew back, in fact, he wasn't doing anything at all.

It was only after he did a double check, that he found out the human was stuck. His sharp hand was close to reach his neck, before he was paralyzed. His stillness would rival a statue, but he saw the panic in his glowing eyes.

He paused his thoughts as he noticed the trembles from the trapped Spirit. Solas quickly aimed his staff at him, and observed his efforts on freeing himself. It didn't look like he was any close on succeeding.

Whatever force or magic that was holding him down, they were doing a tremendous job. He would want to take credit, if he was responsible, which he wasn't.

"Hm?"

Solas focused his sights on the new substance that was emerging from within the Spirit. It was desperate to gain his attention, screaming for him to reach it.

With mindful consideration, he identified it as a life force, a fragment of power and life that once belonged to one of the mightiest and most cunning Elvhens.

The fragment didn't belong alongside the human ether, but it was strong enough to chain down its host, and prevented the Masked Warrior from hurting its true owner, Solas.

Of course, this news shocked him.

The Elf was bewildered, and couldn't believe his own theory. He re-examined it, and the result was the same. The fragment was his, a piece of him was merging with this human's life force.

"Why do you have that? Answer me!", Solas demanded as he approached the mask.

Greggory pushed himself to move his hand again, trying to lay a finger on Solas. He was practically standing in his personal space!

Yet, no matter what he did, he couldn't free himself from the firm hold. This spell was far greater than the previous one. It wasn't crushing him, but it did cut off his control over his form and the Fade.

He was so close to subdue the Mage, but he was too powerful. He shuddered to think what he was capable of with the dormant powers.

"Solas! Release me!", Greggory ordered, and kept struggling. He used every bit of his energy to break his binds. Soon, he finally tired himself out, and just stood there, helplessly, "I will find a way out, Mage."

Solas nodded while he observed the distressed Spirit. He was waiting for him to realize the fragment inside of him. It was interesting, that he kept blaming his magic for this.

The Human should have known about it by now, there was no way he could miss the screeching thing.

"Fascinating, he seems to be clueless about it.", Solas pondered.

If his calculation was correct, then the Spirit would not survive without his life force. It dominated his fragile soul, and that might explain why he couldn't see it as a threat, suspecting himself would be the last thing in the Spirit's mind.

This was an advantage that he didn't foresee. An advantage he disapproved very much. He was furious about the fact that Greggory was bound to him, and had no recollections about the event. Impossible that he would forget about planting a piece of him inside a human!

Solas closed his eyes and controlled his outrage. A tension appeared in his head after that. He asked himself where they were heading with this. He never thought things would become this complicated.

As he reopened his eyes,

he decided to get some answers, rather than more questions.

Solas directed his attention to the fragment, making contact with it. In an instant, it heeded him with no reservation needed. All the while, Greggory was oblivious of the exchange.

The human's glowing eyes went wide, when his body suddenly moved on its own. His claws turned back to a normal human hand, while he kneeled down in front of the smirking Mage.

It was both concerning and humiliating, of how easily he did it, no hesitation at all.

"Get away from me!", he warned, before his head lowered down on its own. He lost vision of the Elf, but could feel his hand on top of his head.

His words did not change the Mage's plan. He was determined to find out who this Spirit was, and made sure that he wouldn't be a problem for him after this.

Greggory failed to utter a single word as he felt someone was invading his head. And what's worse, that he was ultimately submissive about it. His strength was stripped away, compelling him to allow the Wolf into his mind.

...

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

...

As simple as a snap of his finger,

more memories were presented to the Fade Expert.

The Human mind hadn't treated him like an outsider, quite the contrary even, it familiarized with the Elf, giving him all the freedom to peruse everything. It would obey his every command, as if it was accepting him to be its new owner.

Solas browsed through the memories of the Knight Commander, and had made himself at home, despite the true owner's disapprovals. It was entertaining to see his reactions.

Greggory had been gawking like a fool for a few minutes after the huge discovery. He was betrayed by himself. What a time to be alive, he thought and then tried to snap out of his confusion.

"Solas, this is not funny anymore.", Greggory said as he float beside the busy mage. His own mind had disowned him, forcing him into this weak form of a wisp. It felt like he was shoved aside, and was replaced by Solas.

Things kept getting more bizarre, the longer he stayed. He must be out of his mind, when he started to feel okay with his presence here.

The Mage looked pleased.

He noticed the human was slowly slipping into madness. Any unlucky souls would suffer the same in his place. Trapped and powerless, Greggory could not touch him or do anything other than giving him a deaf ear with his constant protests.

"Consider this a lesson for last time, Spirit.", Solas declared. The look on his face was becoming a bit insufferable for the Wisp.

"Congratulations. Lesson learned, you win, alright? Now leave me.", Greggory said, throwing his wispy arms up in frustration.

His request was heard, and ignored. "In a moment.", Solas simply said and brushed him off.

There were still more secrets to find from the poor human, and so far, he learned that Greggory had them even before he rose through the ranks. It was admirable, that his kindness and good heart were not part of his pretense.

However, they didn't tell him anything about the intent of his creation. Tis clear that he had to dig deeper, he had to find the source, the exact moment before he stepped into this World as Greggory.

As the idea appeared,

Solas felt his fragment's guidance again, it wanted to show him something, and shortly a new way was presented to him. It looked like a tunnel with an endless stairs, leading down to the darkness. Then, he noticed the Wisp was looking at it with curiosity. Greggory's distraught expression hinted him that he didn't know of this, or maybe, he couldn't remember. Either way, they didn't stop the Mage from walking down the steps.

Greggory didn't know where this would lead them, but his heart was against this. So, he kept pestering the Elf, telling him to leave.

The further down they went, the darker and withered it got. The damp stony place was filled with anguish and loneliness.

After the long walk down the stairs, they arrived at the bottom and was welcomed by a single visible door, and inside was an empty room. It was a wide space of nothingness, and it would seem so, if the fragment didn't reveal what was hidden.

The Human's mind was laid bare to him, he just found the darkest section of his consciousness. The memories it stored were different than the rest. They were separated, taken here to be shackled away in the deepest and darkest place of all, and was left to be forgotten.

It explained why this place was unheard of by the Human, since they were part of his repressed memories.

Solas guessed that they must have been the worst moments in his life. He realized that he was about to reopen old wounds.

"I apologize if this pains you, my friend.", Solas said to the dazed Wisp, and started to unlock those shackles.

The process would take long if Greggory wasn't bound to him.

….

The Wisp shivered with fear when the Elf tapped the lock. Little flashes of memory made him quivered.

"Please, I beg of you. I do not want to remember!"

Too late, the lock disappeared.

The memories started to play, setting up the stage for them.

Greggory watched in pure horror and misery,

while Solas with great interest, taking in every detail.

...

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

...

He opened his eyes, returning to the serenity of his own mind. Solas looked at the human, his heart went out for him after he learned the truth.

Greggory was filled only with pain and sorrows. He broke down to his knees, sobbing as he tried to hold himself from falling entirely to the ground.

"Why didn't you listen… Maker, I never want to see that again.", Greggory would want to yell out his anger at Solas, if his sadness didn't already take over. It didn't matter what he tried, their dying faces were always there to terrorize him.

From the edge of the faceless mask, tears were raining down to the dirt bellow.

Solas let him have some time, he had what he came for.

Greggory wasn't as ignorant as he thought. He would apologize later about his false view about him, and also for this unfortunate end.

It was a terrible tragedy about what happened to him. He had gone through a long and tortuous journey to overcome those traumatic events. It was after he received a second chance in life, that he was able to close that old book for good, and began a new one as Greggory Cohen.

He was at peace with himself, before Solas came in and ruined that. He wouldn't justify his actions to the good man, but it must be done.

The Masked Human abruptly stopped his sobs, when he heard Solas called him in his people's language. A heavy weight appeared in his heart, because of the name. "Don't call me that.", Greggory said weakly, head still hanged low.

"It is your name, isn't it?", Solas countered, and it was awarded by the human's rage. Greggory slammed his fist to the ground, and yelled at the insensitive Mage, "It is not my name! I swear elf, I will rip out your tongue if you ever say that name again!"

Greggory wanted to shoot him a deadly look, but he was too miserable to do it, so instead, he sighed, "I don't deserve that name, not after what I did to my clan."

...

A cold breeze moved passed them.

No one knew when the scenery changed. They were no longer near the stream now, it was replaced by a run down Village.

Solas recognized the destroyed place.

The human's memories were still fresh within him, he knew of its destructive end. Once this was a sanctuary for both of their people, the fruit of his old ally's ambitions.

He could hardly believe this was his doing.

"Fenedhis. That was a long time ago, I can scarcely remember.", he thought.

His conscious pushed him to try harder, since he owed the human the whole truth after the pain he put him through,

"Arladahl was a loyal friend of mine.", Solas started, and saw the human flinched.

"He was passionate with his studies about your people. Many were skeptical when he proposed his plans to have your people fought in our war."

"Enough!", Greggory interrupted, pushing himself up, "You don't know him!"

Solas wasn't threatened as he stood up to his eye level, "I beg to differ, Young Beast.", he said with knowing eyes, "We've known each other far longer before he met you. I see that he spoke very discreetly of me. Even with you."

The Deer suddenly launched himself to the Wolf, his burning eyes wanted to wipe away his smug look. He was close on touching that pale skin of his, before he was halted midway. He cursed at his body's betrayal, and was very angry that he wasn't allowed to have his revenge. It fueled his flames, he fought against his chains, growling as he did.

With an unimpressed look, the Wolf watched as the Deer slumped down to his feet. He was angry, devastated and exhausted.

"Perhaps, I was too harsh on my words.", Solas thought, and wouldn't take his aggressiveness to the heart.

"I must say, I am impressed and very much surprised, Greggory. You prefer that name, correct?", Solas confessed, and walked beside him, "I share your confusion. Believe me, I do. I would have never guessed that you possess something of mine. A piece of my life force, merging with yours. It grants you the capability to live, and also, forbids you to harm me."

Greggory grunted at the information. The Elf was so full of himself to think that. He would laugh, if the lie was not so believable.

"Let's say that is true, so what? Are you trying to say that you are responsible for my 'fate'?", Greggory said in annoyance, but decided to see where this was heading.

The Elven Mage gave out a wry smile at that. He wasn't responsible of him, well, not entirely. Although his role in this was ridiculous, he felt sad about Arladahl's sacrifices for this human, his fondness for him. His old friend would want him to tell Greggory what really happened, it's the very least he could do for him.

"Greggory. His brother didn't kill him. Arladahl managed to escape him that day."

….

...

The human froze,

It wasn't because of magic, or that "fragment", the Elf just boasted about. He was at lost, and couldn't swallow the information.

He gritted his teeth as he remembered his last moments with his beloved Arladahl. It was painful to see that pathetic human again, he couldn't stop his hands from shaking.

The Elf felt bad to see him like this, he actually cared for his well-being. Thinking back, before their heated confrontations, he never saw the Commander as his enemy, or a threat. It wasn't his fault to end like so. It was from their errors, that he was forced to live through another life.

"Sadly, he passed on not long after.", Solas continued, and saw no reaction from the stiff human, "I'm sorry.", he gently shared his sympathy.

"You are lying.", Greggory's tone was unreadable. He raised his head, and inspected the Elf's face, and then aura. Reality was forcing him to accept his words, "No. You are not.", he repeated. It sounded like he was trying to convince himself, rather than saying them to the other.

"What happened to him?", The human forced out those words. He somewhat appreciated Solas' supportive gaze, it held him from breaking down again.

"He used most of his strength to escape, so he would need aid to reach you in the Crossroads. He came to me for that aid.", Solas said, slowly piecing them together, "He refused to recover his energy, claiming it would waste too much time. He would use his own life force, if I didn't offer him a better solution."

Arladahl was a loyal ally, no one would ever question his loyalty to the cause. He had done an important role to achieved their vision, even though his odd liking to the Humans was a waste.

"I didn't want to lose another friend that day, so I lent him some of my strength, a small fraction of me. I let him use my Eluvian and sent some guards to accompany him.", Solas paused for a second, the next part was not so pleasant to hear. He hoped the human was prepared for this.

"The Guards told me, that they found a deceased human, they found you. Arladahl mourned, but he couldn't accept your death. He casted a very unstable spell, that costed him everything. He wanted to bring you back, but the spell backfired. None of you showed any signs of life after that."

"The Guards brought him back without you. We mourn a lost brother that day.", Solas finished. He frowned when Greggory crossed his arms, trying to hold himself, and stopped his worsening shakes. He could see his shattering heart, when he whimpered.

Solas put his hand on his shoulder, while the tears appeared again. He circled his hand in a comforting way, hoping it would help ease his pain.

"I would never let him go through that, if I knew. He loves you very much, Greggory."

Solas stayed with him, and listened to his sadness. He whispered out an apology, trying to make him feel better. Then, he heard the Human mumbled something about his regret on not staying alive a little longer. He was blaming himself for Arladahl's death.

The Mage shook his head.

He was about to correct him, before suddenly, his form shifted. It wasn't long before the human disappeared right in front of his eyes.

...

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoO**

...

Back in the Waking World,

at the Inquisition Camp.

This was their first stop since their departure from Adamant. Things had been tough for them these past few days, thus they welcomed the quick break. They would continue on to Skyhold in the first light.

It was late, and the people were already fast asleep by now, except for those poor souls who had watch duties, and this one particular Mage.

It was past midnight, and Dorian was nowhere near his tent.

He could be lost, but it was rather peculiar for him to be stranded in the middle of the Templars' encampment. A coincidence? Not likely.

He was snooping around the place rather than being lost, and he was being conspicuous about it. He didn't really care at the moment, he was too concerned on finding a certain tent, that belonged to a certain Templar.

"Who's there?"

Dorian whispered a curse, when he was busted. He subtly scoffed, that it took them this long to notice little old him. Anyway, he told himself to play it cool, before he turned to the patrolling Templar.

He gave him his best smile, "Greetings, friend. How goes the watch? A boring night for us, I hope.", Dorian said, starting a small talk.

The Knight Templar raised his torch, so he could see the man a little better. His nose itched after he found out this man to be a mage. Then, he recognized him from one of the Inquisitor's inner circle, the Tevinter.

"Do you have some business here, Serah?", he asked the Mage, and didn't try to hide his suspicions from the dark haired man. He might be an important person, yet he was still a Tevinter and a mage. A dangerous combo, very dangerous.

Dorian noticed his hand was resting on the hilt of his sword, the brute wasn't even subtle about it. Typical, the Tevinter thought. He wasn't in the mood for this, so he didn't put much effort on creating a convincing story. He was about to deliver his excuse, before another Templar joined them.

"Is there a problem here, Ser Claude?", the new Templar asked. The other Templar stood attentively, while Dorian wiped away the smile in his face.

"I found this Mage lurking around the Camp, Ser.", Ser Claude reported.

Dorian raised an eyebrow, "Lurking am I? You hurt me, Ser Claude. Here, I thought we were going to be the best of pals.", the Mage teased, and made Claude eyed him dangerously.

Thankfully, the new Templar cut in before Claude could comment on that.

"At ease, soldier. You can leave him with me.", the brunette Templar ordered.

Ser Claude didn't question him, and returned back to his duty. He left the two alone as he continued his nightly patrol.

"I appreciate the help.", Dorian started.

The Templar was Greggory's close friends, and one of the three who gave him a scowl when they first met. Greggory told him it was a misunderstanding, caused by their bad experiences with the Venatories. He promised they would change their mind, after they get to know him a little better. Greggory's kind heart was sweet, but Dorian wasn't so optimistic about it.

So for that, he was suspicious when the Orlesian Templar was being polite with him, he was smiling and all. "It's Jonathan Morin, you can call me Jon. Greg told me so much about you.", Ser Jonathan said.

"Huh. Good things, I hope.", He replied, while trying to detect any malice from the cheerful man.

"His mood always brightens up, whenever he talks about you, so yes.", The Templar said and chuckled. Meanwhile, Dorian felt embarrassed because of that, still he would keep this information for later.

"Ah, that reminds me. We must have a drink together, all five of us!", Ser Jonathan invited the Mage, and was actually excited for it. Pity, the same couldn't be said for the Mage.

Dorian wasn't sure if that would be a good idea. He could only picture five gloomy men, having an awkward drink together. It would be a blast.

He could walk away from that disaster, but, Jonathan's grin and Greggory's promise were coaxing him to reconsider.

"I'll look forward to it.", Dorian carefully accepted his invitation. One side of him didn't want to offend the hyper brunette, and the other side was following Greggory's advice about giving them a chance.

"That's great!", Jonathan declared, but then looked hesitant, "Uhm.. Lord Pavus, is it?"

Dorian shook his head, and smirked. He almost got worried there for a second, "Dorian will do, Jon."

The Templar nodded excitedly, "Right. Right. So Dorian, what are you doing at this hour? I am sure there are no mages in tonight's roster.", he asked, rather casually.

"I'm feeling up for some midnight stroll, before my beauty sleep. I didn't realize how far I've walked. *sigh* I blame our dearest Inquisitor for this new habit of mine. All those time of us… walking.", Dorian grimaced.

Jon scratched his head at that, what a strange thing to say. Os would know if he was being honest or not, but not him. He wasn't really good at this, a terrible player in the Game too, and it wasn't helping that Dorian was another well spoken noble.

Thankfully, he was saved from the indignity, because he had a good guess of the Mage's real reason here.

"Hey, it's healthy. How about we extend your work out? I heard the land around that tent is good for the feet.", Jon suggested, and pointed at the big tent to their right. "It won't hurt, right? I'm pretty sure, Commander Greggory won't mind having you walk around his tent for a little while."

Dorian squinted his eyes at Jonathan. It could be a trap or, could be not. Not that it mattered to him, he needed to check on Greggory. He'd get over the disappointment if he was deceived.

"O..Okay?", Dorian said reluctantly, and looked at the tent.

"I'll remember your part, after I achieve my goal for a healthier lifestyle.", Dorian jest, and bid him a good night before he left.

Jon replied, and let him leave. He laughed a bit freely after the mage was far enough. Greggory wasn't kidding with his stories about Dorian. He could see why his brother liked him, although he wasn't convinced with Septom's idea about those two.

He still couldn't believe that Greg preferred men. All the time he spent with Greg, he only got room for one woman. Maybe, they were just childhood friends, but his affection for her was different than with them.

On the other hand, What if Sept was right, what if they were that intimate with each other? If that was true, Jon would get every detail. He never thought that he would live to see the day, where Greggory finally got his turn on romance.

"I need to start making plans. We are having a new addition to the family!", Jon thought, and fanned himself with his hand to calm down.

...

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

...

"Thank the Maker."

Dorian whispered in relieved, after he quietly entered the tent, and saw the sleeping blond. He thanked Jon in his thoughts, before he approached the slumbering Templar. He looked exceptionally comfortable.

Dorian was worrying over nothing.

He scolded himself for being so foolish, then after a second, he turned to blamed the Commander for making him go through all of these troubles.

"It must be delightful to lure me with your mysteries.", he thought annoyingly, and poked at the Templar's cheek.

Greggory didn't give any signs of change, after that Spirit situation. He was acting like himself in front of the others. However, there was a visible space between them now. The Mage assumed that he needed the distance until he could explain everything to him.

He thought he would be fine with his distant behaviors.

Yes, he was already wrong to believe he had that much patience.

From his squatting position, Dorian carefully sat down beside Greggory. The Orlesian would never realize how his selfishness affected him. He became restless because of the worries, couldn't even get a wink of sleep. All he could think of was him, and the fear of losing him.

He blushed, and felt his irritation subdued. A smile appeared, when he was enraptured by the Man's sleeping face, he looked so adorable. He would love to sneak a kiss, and appease his feelings for him.

"It's good to see you're okay.", He whispered, and decided to simply pet his head.

His original plan was to leave after he was done checking on his Greggory, but, he changed his mind, and would want to stay with him for a while.

It would be best to make sure.

And also, it would make himself feel better.

He missed him.

...

!

Dorian jerked his hand away, when out of the blue, Greggory started to tear up in his sleep. He panicked on what to do as his tears continued to pour down. He should have woken up before he flooded his tent, yet he didn't.

The Tevinter didn't know what happen, it was so sudden. He was fine minutes ago, sleeping like a handsome prince and all.

"Shhh… Shh… It's alright. It's going to be alright.", Dorian cooed, while wiping away his endless tears.

He called out to his Commander, trying to wake him up. When that didn't work, he started to shake him, but Greggory stubbornly refused to wake up, and started to mumble things in Elven.

Dorian was scared now, he thought that if he didn't do something else, Greggory would permanently close his eyes. And so, with this as his last resort, the charming Mage laid down next to him. He was mindful when he gently pulled him into a hug, letting his tears soaked his clothes.

He planted a small kiss on top of his head, and then whispered comforting words as he petted him again.

Time went by excruciatingly slow when he saw no changes in his beloved.

…

The soothing voice became clearer, and soon it was followed by a warm feeling around his body. As he came to, he found himself in front of someone's chest. He noticed that his tears had ruined their clothes, although that didn't end their supportive embrace.

"Arladahl?", he thought, but the empty wish met the harsh reality. He looked up, and regardless the similarities they shared, he was not Arladahl, never would be.

"Bad dream?", Dorian asked with a wide and loving smile. He wiped the remaining tears on Greggory with his finger, ignoring the ones that just escaped his own eyes, "Good thing I passed by."

Seeing Dorian, there was happiness in Greggory's heart. He was desperate for his comfort, he didn't want to be alone, he didn't have the will to push him away.

"What am I supposed to do?", he still wondered in his mind, when he already knew the right thing to do. It would be wise to get away, he was too unstable, and it was unfair to use Dorian like this. He told himself that he would regret if he kept following his heartache's needs. They wouldn't help him, instead they would make his wounds worse.

Greggory felt defeated, and then buried his face in Dorian's chest, holding him close.

The Mage frowned, and looked at him with concern eyes. He heard muffled sniffs, while he stroked his soft hair. "I'm here, Amatus. Everything will be alright.", Dorian whispered as he felt the man little sobs. He wished he could make him feel better, to make him laugh again.

This was the first time he saw the stoic man broke down like so. He didn't seem so untouchable now, and that created a protective feeling from the Mage. He wanted to keep him safe from the sadness.

"Whatever it is, know that I will be here, right by your side. I won't leave.", Dorian continued, his voice was like a sweet lullaby to him.

Greggory didn't say anything back, he didn't want to make things worse. But, he didn't release Dorian, or refused his caring attentions. His body was relaxing to his voice, his warmth, his aura, and his love.

He busied his thoughts on their time together, right from their first meeting, until the present. The trembles slowly stopped as the beautiful memories filled him. A few more minutes later, he felt a lot calmer with his eyes and breathing heavy.

He moved closer to Dorian, snuggled lovingly to him. He noted how nice the Mage smelled, before drifting off.

Dorian felt his grip over him had loosen, and his breathing was slower and deeper. He didn't dare to move and to check on him, fearing it could disturb his improving mood.

Playing with his hair, he promised to Greggory that he would not let anything hurt him. He would hunt down those who caused him such ache. Well, he would always be there to listen.

"This is nice."

Dorian felt his eyes heavy, until he too, fell asleep.

...

 **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

...

Rustling sound appeared behind him, from the bushes of the forest. He wasn't worried with the company, since they could not harm him, even if they wanted to.

The Deer walked through the forest, their role were switched, it was the Wolf who was waiting for him now.

"You're back.", Solas said after the masked Warrior showed up.

The Elf glanced to the Human beside him, he looked more reserved now. He even handled their new surroundings well.

When the Masked Warrior had nothing to say about the enchanting Lake, Solas decided to break the silence, "Your illusion changed right before you vanished. It wouldn't last without you, so I held it from disappearing.", he explained as he stood with both hands behind his back.

He marveled at the skies, a better version than the previous, "I understand, this place is important for you.", Solas added. He knew as much, since he had relived the Man's life.

Greggory followed his gaze.

He had better grip on his emotions, all because of his Dorian. He felt a lot lighter, knowing that the Bold Mage was keeping him safe on the other side. It never failed to give him some comfort that there was a life, he could look forward to after this. And so, for the second time, Dorian was healing his wounds.

He smiled at the thought.

He was sure that if Dorian wasn't there, the truth would devour him, and the loneliness would destroy him.

Oh yes, the truth.

Greggory's good mood took a dive there. It was shameful of him to use Dorian to block off his grieve, but it did keep him sane. The true fate of Arladahl.. There was a crack for thinking his name, but he refused to succumb to his sadness again, and so he held himself together. He couldn't move forward if he kept shutting down like that.

"Can I?", Greggory became unsure, and was conflicted.

He did have a new life, which he cherished so. He wasn't just that Hunter in that past, he was also a Knight Commander in this present. Yet, he couldn't forget about his Arladahl. He still loved him, and he couldn't remember how many times his death had broke his heart. He should have been with him right now, having a new life together, like he promised him.

However, he also made promises in his new life, and he couldn't hurt them as much as he couldn't forget about Arladahl.

When his head started to feel like it was about to explode, he turned to the Elf for a solution. He remembered about the other things Solas had said about his life force. There was no doubt that he was bound to him, since he was created from both Arladahl and Solas's life force. Because Arladahl was no longer with them, Solas solely held his fate in his hands.

If he wanted to find some reassurance, this Elvhen would be his best choice.

"What do you think I should do, Solas?", Greggory asked for his advice.

...

...

The Mage studied the Spirit.

He was faced with such strange predicament. He wasn't used to see himself inside the human. Despite being the owner of the soul, he would never make such a wasteful decision.

"I pity you, Spirit. To be blinded by love, you endured such unreasonable fate.", Solas thought. If he didn't possess the Human's memories about their relationship, he would definitely question Arladahl's logic in his actions.

"Absurd, isn't it? That we ended up meeting like this.", Solas said, and wasn't offended when the human didn't reply. He was sure that the Human agreed with him.

He couldn't get over of how ridiculous this was. Arladahl created this mess, and left him to deal with it. He wondered, and this would be the fourth time now, about where and how he could get himself all tangled up in their foolishness.

Supposedly, he could give the human some peace, and he would regain back his life force. A boost of power could be very useful for him now.

With that in mind, he developed some scenes about the aftermath of the Commander's death. How would the World react when they found him dead in the morning.

He got a couple of answers, and they made him see the qualities in the Commander, and how he could benefit from them more if he was alive. Greggory had done the unthinkable, so it didn't feel right to end his journey in such a dull way. No, he was not a simple vessel. In someway, he was sent to him for a bigger purpose.

"You have a good life now, Greggory. You have friends and families that love you. You have Dorian by your side.", Solas said, and got his full attention, "It is destiny that you and I are here together. And despite the obvious, I don't believe that you are here just to return my soul."

The Mask twinged in alert at that. He still couldn't decide between Arladahl or the people he came to love in his new life. An older part of him wanted to see Arladahl again, yet, the Greggory in him wanted to go back to see his mother, his brothers, and his wonderful Dorian. It was surprising, how strong his attachment to the life that once was forced to him.

"You will have to fight me for it, Solas. I know, I can't hurt you, but I won't give up my life that easily.", Greggory warned.

Solas chuckled, the human had misunderstood, "Did you not hear what I just say? I have no intentions on using you as my supply of power.", he repeated and took a few steps forward to the Lake. "And if not for Arladahl, I will never have you be bound to me."

The Deer lowered his guard, after Solas wasn't going to drain his life. He sensed that the Elf had no liking with the binding. Other than Arladahl's involvement, this caused him the most discomfort.

He quickly took note at that, and heard what the Wolf had to say.

"You have seen how the Elves fare after our Rebellion. We wanted our freedom from the Tyrant Gods, we made our sacrifices for it. I never thought the outcome would be like this.", Solas confessed, there was regret in his voice.

"You are not of my kind, but you know what we have lost. Arladahl and I never wish this upon our people."

Greggory nodded at that.

Every elf he met, they always reminded him of their glorious past. If not for Arladahl, he wouldn't feel so guilty for their fate. He wanted to end the injustice in their lives, yet he also feared for the return of their chaotic past.

"I've seen in your memories that you have been a friend to them. For that, I want to ask a favor from you, Commander."

Solas turned to the Spirit, the two of them made a strong eye contact.

"We came from the same time, yet we are very different."

"You and I, we are connected because of Arladahl. Of course, I'm not trying to use him to get your sympathy. I do believe you realize this by now, that all of the circumstances were pointing to what I am about to ask of you."

Solas was right, Greggory found sense in his words. It was strange, but there was a connection and he could believe that they were destined to meet. And if the Elvhen's mission was the same as what he had in mind, then all this time, Arladahl was leading him to Solas.

"I need your help to free the Elves from their wretched fate.", Solas offered. "Our errors in the past have brought them this. I wish to fix it, and to give a better future for the Elves."

…..

 _To be Continued_

* * *

 **Poor Solas was bound to a Spirit.**

 **What will change after this?**

 **Will this affect our couple?**

 **Next, maybe, Greggory's loyalty mission.**

 **The Inquisitor gonna have a blast.**


End file.
